Three of Fate
by Magda the Magpie
Summary: Steve's life was looking grim when Bucky got drafted, right up until the day he sort of rescued a dame from a dark alley, only for her to follow him home and turn his life upside down.
1. The Impossible Dame

Hands in his pockets, collar turned up against the wind, Steve walked at a brisk pace to get home as soon as possible while trying not to set off his asthma. After being deemed unfit to join the army, for the… what? Fourth time? Fifth? He wasn't counting anymore, and his fake identities became more and more ludicrous every time. Heck, he'd even said he was from New-Jersey tonight, and that particular lie had made his skin crawl worse than the time Bucky had put a worm in his shoe.

Oh God… Bucky was going to kill him if he heard about New-Jersey. He supposed he would have killed him anyway if he had been approved. Bucky might be his best friend, his brother in all but blood, but he couldn't understand, he didn't know what it felt like to be dismissed when all he wanted was to help and do his part like everyone else.

Steve felt so… useless. Like an old shoe beyond repair that no one knew what to do with. Useless but you didn't just throw a shoe out, so you left it to rot in a corner.

But he _could_ fight. No one believed him, but he could. He'd taken on bullies twice his size. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't impotent. Steve kicked a stone, followed it with his eyes as it hit a trash can, then the next in a musical combo. Okay so maybe he didn't win those fights, not really, but neither did the bullies in the end since he refused to let them, refused to stand down and cower. Steve was looking for another stone to take his anger out on when he heard a harsh laugh. It wasn't a happy one, but mocking and cruel. He'd heard it often enough directed at him. Worried, he searched for the source, walking back a couple of yards to the dark parking lot nestled between the back of barber's shop and the grocer's. Both closed at this hour, of course, so it was deserted and dark, or it should be but he heard a deep voice from the entrance.

"...walking around dressed like that. Just askin' for trouble is what I say."

That voice belonged to the laugh that had made his hackles rise, no doubt about it.

"Piss off! I can dress how I ruddy well like, you neanderthal."

"Think not, doll. C'mere and I'll show you a good time."

"No!"

The woman's shout ended in a squeak. Steve had heard enough. To be honest, he had waited too long already to intervene, but he had been taken by surprise at hearing a dame stand up for herself like that. However, this was not a lovers' quarrel. He doubted she even knew the man, and he sounded well into his drinks, too.

"Hey!" he shouted as loud as he could and stepped further into the darkened lot until he could see them. He had cornered the dame in the far end, leaving her no chance to escape, the beast. "Leave her alone!"

The man laughed when he saw him, but Steve jutted his chin out, fists clenched, ready to strike. He wasn't intimidated. What worried him was the woman who was struggling to keep her weight on her toes while the drunkard crushed her right arm in his meaty hand. A huge hand as large as her head. She was holding a stick as if she'd tried to attack him with it. She was brave, he's give her that, but she finally let it go with a whimper when he yanked her arm forward to face his new adversary.

Steve saw red. That was no way to treat a dame. Before he knew it, he was throwing himself at the bulky man, who swatted him back like a fly before he could even land a punch. Steve fell on his arse, tasting blood on his lips. The brute was wearing heavy rings to top it off. Damnit. Steve shook his head, trying to get rid of the dizziness from the blow when the other man yelled suddenly, dropping the lady as he held his hand. He cursed, then kicked her in the stomach and called her a couple of words Steve had never even heard before, although he could guess at the meaning. Finally, the drunkard left, snarling at him as he walked past. All in all, not such a bad outcome. It could have been a lot worse. For him at least, because he still had to check on the woman who had just been assaulted. Steve picked himself up and approached her cautiously so as not to scare her further. She was curled on herself on the floor, groaning.

"Ma'am?"

He was surprised when she carefully uncurled and looked directly at him, without any fear, even if she still looked to be in pain.

"Hey," she replied with a soft voice and a bloody smile. "My knight in shining armour."

A blush crept up his face. He knew she wasn't serious, but he couldn't help his heart from swelling with pride at those words.

"Thank you," she added, and she really did sound sincere. His blush intensified and he looked away.

"I couldn't just walk away. Are you badly hurt?"

"My pride, mostly," she replied, but her wince as she moved to a sitting position told him otherwise.

The lines around her mouth, the way she cradled her arm against her body and how she held herself, hunched over… He knew the signs of someone in pain and trying to hide it.

"May I help you up?"

She bit her lip and picked up her stick, which looked more like a drumstick now that he got a better look at it, all smooth and polished and straight. She tucked it into her large coat, almost a cape, before she nodded and gave him her uninjured arm. Steve put it around his shoulders to help her stand up, glad she was light enough he didn't make a fool of himself and drop her, or the both of them, back on the ground. Surprisingly, once she was up on her own two legs, she left her arm slung around his shoulders, unconcerned about propriety and seeming perfectly at ease with their proximity. They were of a height too, which was a welcome change, so it wasn't as uncomfortable or difficult to hold her up as he'd feared. Maybe she was still too wobbly on her legs. Shock alone could do that, but she'd been pretty roughed up too.

"Where do you live? I'll walk you back just in case that brute is still around."

The woman looked around, then at him, biting her lip again.

"You know… I'm really not sure. Where is this exactly?"

"Brooklyn." He frowned. "Did you hit your head?"

"New-york?" she asked instead.

Was there another Brooklyn around these parts? Steve nodded at her question. With her strong accent, she didn't sound like she was from around here, but there had been a lot of immigrants fleeing the war these last few years so it wasn't out of the ordinary either.

"That's impossible," she said in a whisper, more to herself than to him.

She paled considerably, enough that he could see it in the near darkness, then slumped, putting more of her weight on him. He squared his shoulders, refusing to be weak when someone needed him.

"Where do you live?" he asked again, more softly.

"London… England."

His eyebrows shot up.

"Bit far to walk," he said, not knowing how to deal with someone who seemed to suffer a bout of amnesia.

She chuckled and he felt like he was doing _something_ right if he managed to cheer her up. He could do more though. He couldn't very well leave her there to fend for herself. The next person who offered their help might not have such noble intentions.

"I live just up the street if you want. It's not much, but you can rest there until you feel more like yourself."

He half expected her to refuse, but she just looked straight at him and there was so much going on behind those deep brown eyes. She was nothing like the vapid girls Bucky took him to dates with.

"If you don't mind. Just for a bit. Until I figure things out."

Steve smiled. He was useful after all.

His worry about her mental state grew when the woman froze upon stepping onto the lighted street. She just stood there, and, as inelegant as it sounded speaking about a dame, she gaped. At the cars, at the people, at the buildings and the signs… It was as if she had never seen a city before, but surely London couldn't be all that different. It was a big city too, right?

"Alright?" Steve asked.

"Yes… yes, sorry. Lead on."

She was quiet the rest of the way, but seemed relieved when they arrived and he had closed the door behind him. He felt a bit awkward. He had never had a guest before, except Bucky, and he didn't really count. Bucky had always been there… until he wasn't. Punk better come visit before he left.

"Water?" he asked as she sat on his chair.

"Please."

He scurried off to the sink and filled a glass, then got out his first aid kit, hoping she wasn't hurt too badly. He knew how to deal with scrapes, but anything more… He shook off his doubts. No use imagining the worse. He kicked himself into action and returned to his unexpected guest, having a good look at her for the first time, as well as her clothes!

"Are you- Are those pants?" he blurted out, pointing at her legs before hastily withdrawing his finger.

She looked down at herself with a frown, then back up at him with a gleam of amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Trousers? Yeah. Jeans, actually. I take it they're not very fashionable around here."

For men working on the docks, maybe… and they looked nothing like those she was wearing. Steve shook his head vehemently and she seemed amused. Her jumper was fine though, if a bit childish. At least it didn't cling to her curves like her bottom half. And her long coat really did look like an old timey cape. It even had a large hood. It was just… weird. Foreigners, go figure. His Ma would probably have had a lot to say about her being English to explain her strange ways.

"Do you have a bloody lip?" he asked. Might as well start small.

She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips and he followed it like a hawk.

"No? Why?"

"You've got… blood, there."

He motionned around her mouth and she grimaced, grabbing the cup of water as she stood to walk over to the sink with careful steps.

"Not mine," she muttered over her shoulder.

Not hers? Oh! That explained the drunkard's howl of pain and hasty retreat. She must have bitten him hard enough to draw blood. He smiled. Good on her. Even if it was a bit gross. He heard her spitting in his sink. She was so unlady-like, it was almost comical. When the gurgling from his kitchen area had stopped, she sat back and went through his medical kit, lining up materials. She seemed to know what she was doing so he watched, out of her way, but there if she needed help. She shrugged off her coat, then her jumper, hissing every time she had to slide a sleeve past her injured arm.

And Steve was blushing, again. She was just undressing. And he was _right there_. Should he turn around? Close his eyes? Bucky wouldn't. He'd ask if she needed a hand, but that hardly seemed appropriate right now. Besides, she wasn't shedding any more layers. She was in a simple white tee-shirt now, and he had one very much like it. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised she was wearing yet another male item of clothing, although it suited her rather well. It was very… form-fitting. Like her jeans. At this rate, he was just going to blush non-stop. But then he saw the bruises, the distinctive shape of large fingers on her forearm, and her wrist… it was not only bruised but swollen too. He wished he had a least punched that bastard in return. Steve didn't want to imagine what he would have done to her if he hadn't stepped in.

"It's only a sprain," she said, looking up at him, holding his gaze for a moment. "I don't want to risk making it worse, though. Do you have anything I can use to make a splint?"

"I have pencils," he offered, not sure that would work, but it was one thing he had enough of. Unfortunately, he lacked everything else. He took a couple pencils from the table where he usually drew and watched again as she set her wrist, then wrapped it with the makeshift splint with precise movements.

"Are you a nurse?"

She tied the ends of her bandage with a chuckle.

"No. But I do have an accident-prone friend so I read a lot on basic healing in case we couldn't use- uh… see a doctor."

That didn't sound quite right, but Steve didn't want to pry if she didn't want to say anymore. Her expression turned from merry to chastised in an instant.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even introduce myself, did I? After everything you've done for me, too."

"That's quite alright. A bit of a shock, I imagine. I'm Steve Rogers," he said and offered his hand before recalling her right hand was injured.

He let his hand drop. Why did he always have to make a fool of himself? Before he could beat himself up too much about it, her left hand sought his out: soft and warm and small, even compared to his own. It felt so good, this human contact: warm, earnest and friendly. Like Bucky. He chuckled to himself. His friend was never going to believe this story.

"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger. I'm really grateful for your help tonight, Steve. You have no idea how much."

"Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"More than getting beaten up by a giant in the street, you mean?"

"And being so far away from home too."

She bit her bottom lip, dragging her teeth over it before letting it go. She sighed.

"So much trouble," she admitted and slumped back in her chair.

Her tee-shirt rode up, revealing her midriff, but she didn't seem to notice, or care. And this position made her breast perk up… Steve wanted to bang his head on the table. If this is the sort of thought bringing a dame back home put in his brain, maybe it was for the best he remain a hermit.

"I was in London, and then I was in that parking lot," she snapped her fingers. "Just like that."

Steve dragged the second chair from the table and sat facing her.

"That's impossible."

"Without meaning to? Yes, quite. But that's not even the worse part."

"No?"

The incredulity in his voice was as evident as the time Bucky had told him about the ginger triplets he'd picked up one night in a bar.

"What year is it?"

"1943," he said with a frown. Just how hard did she hit her head? Maybe he should check her skull for a bump.

"You see, I was in London in 1999."

Steve stared blankly at her.

"That's impossible."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. I'm sorry. I'm having a hard time processing it too, and I just needed to say it out loud."

"And that makes it better?"

"No. Not really. I don't know… I thought it would make it seem more real. I can't figure out what happened. Why it happened. It doesn't make any sense."

The last word ended on a high pitch note and she apologized again. Steve didn't know what to make of her. She seemed so earnest, and she was nice, polite. He'd like to believe her, really, but it was so farfetched. Hermione sighed and busied her hands, cleaning up the mess she'd made, then she pulled her chair closer to his, holding up a damp cloth.

"Your lip," she explained.

"I can-"

"Let me? It's my fault, after all."

He nodded. She was so close, he was having trouble thinking, let alone talk. Without her outer layers, he could smell her perfume, sweet and fresh like the spring flowers he drew in the parc. She dabbed his lip gently, her eyes focused downward allowed him to look his fill. Her skin seemed soft, almost flawless and she had a few freckles smattered across her nose, long dark lashes and her eyes were a whisky brown colour. Her hair up in a tight knot seemed to have a wave to them and he wondered what it would look like undone.

When she glanced up, probably feeling his eyes on her, she caught him staring, but didn't berate him for it. In fact, he could have sworn her cheeks had coloured pink, but she was half turned away from him, going through the pockets of her coat and dumpling various things on his table.

"Aha!" The triumphant exclamation was followed by her holding out a little vial of orange liquid. "Dittany. I always carry some on me. I'll have your lip fixed in no time."

Steve had never heard of dittany, but if it involved her being close again, he didn't mind. God, Bucky was such a bad influence on him. She dabbed some of the liquid on the cloth and dabbed his lip again. It tingled for a bit, then the pain was gone. Completely gone. She let go of the cloth and her finger trailed over his lip, checking her work.

"There you go. All healed."

It took all of his will to remain cool as a cucumber, which he definitely was not.

"I- I need to go. To sleep. If you want to stay, you're welcome to have my-"

"I'll take the sofa. Thank you again, Steve. Sweet dreams."

Steve was too out of it to protest, or wish her the same. He walked over to his bed in the next room with stiff movements and fell face first, groaning into his pillow. He was such an idiot for reacting this way. She was way out of his league, and injured, just been molested in fact, _and_ she was a bit nutters. It didn't keep his thoughts from straying back to her, however.

The next morning, he woke early. He always did, but even more so today because he had to check he hadn't dreamed up last night. He threw on yesterday's clothes and was very careful not to make his door squeak as he opened it to peek into the other room. There _was_ someone sleeping on his sofa, tucked into the pillow and blanket Bucky stashed next to it for when he stayed over. He tiptoed over to the table, still littered with the contents of Hermione's pockets. She must had dropped right off to sleep like he had if she hadn't bothered putting away her belongings. There were even a few coins, but they looked unfamiliar. Curious, he lifted the closest up to his nose and squinted at the markings, almost dropping it when the date jumped out at him: 1987. He checked every coin, most British and a few others he couldn't identify and had no apparent dates. But all of the other coins were dated between 1972 for the oldest… the oldest! Which was thirty years in the future. The coin dated further into the future was a penny dated 1998… Hermione had said she came from 1999.

Steve dropped in the chair she had occupied last night. It couldn't be a prank. Why would anyone bother pulling something this elaborate on _him?_

Feeling only slightly guilty, Steve perused the other items: a paper ticket in garrish orange and green stamped with the date 12th April 1999, an old fashioned quill, round foil wrappers which he assumed contained sweets, a mixed bunch of keys, old fashioned and modern both, gloves made of a strange material he'd never seen, almost like scales, plus a few odds and ends he couldn't identify, not even what they were made off.

Could she really be from the future? It sounded so insane and yet, it would explain a lot. Her clothes, her manners, even her speech, accent aside, she had a strange turn of phrase… A yawn from the sofa made him snap back to the present, sitting ramrod straight in his chair as if he had been caught red-handed.

"Steve?"

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," she said as she pushed the blanket off then stood. "I guess I should start-"

"Jesus! You're not- You're- Pants!"

He dropped his head in his hands. She was going to kill him. And this just proved his point about her being out of time. He was pretty sure normal dames didn't walk around in just a tee-shirt and what looked like men's boxers, even less so in mixed company, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Right. The forties," she muttered. "Hold on. Okay. I'm… well, more or less presentable."

Steve peeked up. Okay. No more skin showing. He was equal parts relieved and disappointed. He hadn't noticed her hair undone either, what with all the legs distracting him, but it cascaded down her shoulders, brushing past her elbows in a beautiful tangle of caramel curls. He had an urge to draw her, just like that, still sleep tousled, with the morning light shining like a halo around her. He should probably pick his jaw off the floor first.

"Were you looking through my pockets?" Hermione asked, breaking the spell.

"Not on purpose. You left it there after last night and I saw the coins and the date and then… you were telling the truth?"

"Yes! Why didn't I think of that? You believe me?"

Steve nodded.

"Hard not to. What are you going to do? To get back? It's possible, right? I mean, if you can go one way-"

Her stricken expression told him that wasn't so. Strange to think time travel only worked backwards.

"I thought about it all night. I could go to people who know about this, but I don't know them, and they certainly don't know me. I don't even know who to trust. Time travel is strictly controlled and those who abuse it are severely punished. They might...no, they _will_ lock me up somewhere so I don't mess up the time continuum. The Americans will. Maybe if I can get back to England… find Professor Dumbledore… Yes, I think he would help me."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan. But… erm… you do know what's going on in the world, right? I mean, if you're from the future, you know… Oh! You know! The war! Do we win?"

Hermione was well read despite not having had a muggle education so she knew how and when the war ended. She even knew a lot more than that given there was a magical side to this war too.

"See, this is why time-travel is forbidden," she deadpanned. "I'm sorry."

Steve couldn't hide his disappointment. To think he could know, that the information was right at the tips of his fingers, that he could know if Bucky would have to be sent to the front after boot camp or if he would be safe… And suddenly he understood what she was saying, why her being here, her knowledge, was so dangerous. If the wrong people got her hands on her… they would get the information they wanted whether she wanted to give it or not, and it might change _everything_.

"But-" she began and his head snapped up. "You'll notice I don't speak German. Not one word of it, in fact."

Steve laughed. He didn't remember laughing this hard since his mother passed away. He was so happy, so relieved… So, of course, he had to ruin the moment and have an asthma attack.


	2. Be my Guest

Steve tried to relax, breathe through the attack, but his chest felt so tight, it hurt, and then the wheezing began. The whistling accompanying every exhale, and a few inhales too, the worse his airways constricted. It was so embarrassing. He had just been _laughing_ , for God's sake. He was _happy_. It was so stupid. Hermione probably saw him as the weakling he was now instead of her knight in shining armour. He wanted to dig a hole and go hide in it, but he couldn't even do that if he had a shovel, lacking the basic muscle strength to do such work.

But he saw her then, kneeling on the floor in front of him.

"Breathe in through your nose Steve," she showed him, not caring that she looked a bit silly sprawled on the floor as she breathed in loudly, with exaggerated care, so he followed her example. If she didn't feel ridiculous, he probably shouldn't either. He knew what to do, but it was always easier to follow orders when he was in this state. "Out through your mouth. Again. Slowly."

She pushed his shoulders back gently until he wasn't hunched over so much, forcing him to sit straight and open his airways. It got a bit easier, and he focused on her breathing and her hands holding his own.

"Do you have an inhaler somewhere?" she asked softly.

He had no idea what she was talking about and shook his head minutely. He almost wanted to laugh again, because he'd bet it was something that hadn't been invented yet. She coached him through to the end, until he was breathing alright on his own once more, then picked herself off the floorboards to prepare some coffee. He didn't really feel like coffee but took the cup so as not to be impolite.

"Hot coffee helps open your airways," she said with a knowing smile which told him she was reading him like an open book.

Not difficult when it felt like you were dying a little inside from lack of air and too much shame. So he inhaled and drank the coffee, unconvinced at first, but he felt more like himself already. And through it all, she hadn't lost her cool, hovering nearby, like Bucky always did. He chuckled and began telling her about his best friend. How they grew up in the same neighborhood, then how they became close when Bucky self-appointed himself his protector after finding him bloodied a few times too many and finding out why.

"He's always there for me, whether I want him to be or not. I don't understand why he bothers, honestly, he'd be better off without me holding him back all the time. I know I'm just a nuisance…"

Hermione scoffed. And yeah, that was so much like Bucky. No words needed, just flinging raw emotion right in his face to get his point across. He hoped those two met. They'd hit it right off.

"But I can always count on him. Except now he's getting his stupid ass shipped off. Sorry," he added, realising he shouldn't speak so in front of a dame.

"He sounds like a good friend."

"The best."

He waited for her to bring up his asthma attack, but she merely gazed back at him with a smile playing at the corner of her lips, apparently content to wait him out. She might have to wait a long time since he had no desire to bring up how much of a weakling he really was. He was a wreck and he had no way to fix it, especially not by talking about it. A loud rumble echoed in the empty space between them and she flung her hands up to her mouth, mumbling something that might have been an apology.

"You're hungry?" Steve asked and stood, carefully testing his limits and deciding he would be alright for now, as long as he didn't do something too strenuous like running or… laughing, apparently. Maybe he was getting worse. Shaking off that particular fear, he walked over to his pantry next to the sink, already knowing he didn't have much except cans of beans. And more beans. He slammed the door shut.

"It's okay," she said, too close by half. "I've already been such an imposition. I should go."

"Where?" he asked incredulously.

"I'll find something."

"Just walking out wearing those slacks," and he still wasn't convinced they were because of how tight they appeared, of how they showed off every curve, especially her rump. "Will get you in trouble. Might even get you arrested. And that's only if you don't run into another brute like last night."

Hermione glanced out the window, her left hand idly rubbing her right, just below her sprain.

"What else am I supposed to do? I can't stay locked up here forever and be a burden on you."

Steve had to admit she had a point, but an idea came to him and he smiled.

"I'll be right back."

He forced himself to walk more slowly than usual despite his excitement at the prospect. He wanted to help Hermione as much as he could. He owed her that much for not judging him where so many others had, for trusting him, and just being plain nice. He wasn't used to such companionship, save Bucky's, and admitted to himself he might be a bit drunk on it. Arriving at the flat downstairs, he tapped on the door lightly, smoothing down his clothes to make sure he looked proper. Maybe he should have checked his hair before leaving. He probably had bed-hair, but it was too late to do anything about that because the door cracked open, revealing his neighbour's surprised face.

"Steve? Is something wrong?"

"No?"

"It's awfully early," Maggie explained with a laugh as she opened the door wider. "You're lucky I have an early shift or I wouldn't have opened with such good grace."

Steve blushed. It wasn't the first time he ran headfirst with an idea in mind. Bucky said he was like a wild boar, nevermind that he had never seen a real one for himself before.

"I have a favour to ask," Steve admitted sheepishly, ducking his head.

Maggie nodded and beckoned him in. They'd been neighbours since forever, and she had been friends with his mom, had helped him take care of her when she was too sick to even move. Steve suspected Maggie still kept an eye on him, because he'd sometimes find baked goods waiting at his door when he'd hit a lean week. She always knew somehow.

"Those dresses Eliza outgrew…"

Maggie chuckled, cutting him off.

"She does look much more at ease in your mother's dresses. I still can't believe she's so tall. I don't know who she got it from. But what could you possibly want with girl's frills, Steven?"

"It's for a friend who just turned up. She lost everything… in a fire."

That was common enough, more so in the cramped wooden tenements they lived in. Maggie nodded in understanding.

"I kept a few of them that weren't too threadbare. Always someone who can use the material sooner or later."

She fetched him a small bundle and made him promise to introduce her to this mysterious friend of his. The way she said it… she either had the wrong idea, or was just very hopeful he had found someone. She was going to be quite disappointed in the near future, but Steve thanked her profusely for her help, even more so when she added a couple of biscuits on top of the pile of clothes for breakfast.

Hermione had cleaned herself up when he returned, her face pink from scrubbing and a couple of wet curls dangling around her face.

"Here, try these. They're from a neighbour's daughter."

She looked delighted, as if he'd just offered her diamonds instead of old, second-hand clothes. She really wasn't like other dames he had met.

"Thank you, Steve. I'm starting to wonder how I could have survived the Forties without you."

She left for the privacy of his bedroom to change, returning a mere five minutes later.

"I feel stupid," she said as she pulled on the hem of a pretty blue dress with tiny white flowers around the collar and sleeves.

Steve knew Maggie had embroidered them herself for her daughter so she would have at least one dress that wasn't too plain-looking compared to the ones her better-off friends wore. Eliza had looked good in that dress; Hermione looked better despite the bruises on her arm.

"You don't look stupid," Steve said, then kicked himself because that hardly sounded like a compliment. "I mean you look very, uhm, pretty."

Steve struggled to recall what Bucky had taught him to say to dames. Had he said pretty was too childish? Or was it lovely? He couldn't remember. He hadn't really paid attention because one dismissive look from the "date" Bucky had brought along for him and he knew it wasn't even worth the effort. Now, he wished he had listened.

"You're just saying that so I don't cause a riot outside in my trousers. It's upside-down-land around here."

"Dames don't wear dresses in the future?"

Steve couldn't wrap his mind around it, but he supposed it was probably far from the most important change so far in the future.

"I only wear them for special occasions. Some like wearing dresses and do everyday, but honestly, they're so much less practical. And drafty. And you're much more likely to get harassed wearing a skirt that trousers where I'm from."

She still looked uneasy in her new attire, although he couldn't fathom why, so he offered her a biscuit to divert whatever thought was bothering her and calm her rumbling stomach.

"What are you plans today?" she asked when she'd finished.

"Work. I have a few assignment to finish with the TA. I should probably leave soon… Will you be alright on your own?"

He hated to leave her, but if he wrapped up all his pending work today, he'd have enough cash to feed the both of them for a week.

"Yeah, sure. I'll figure something out."

Steve rummaged in the drawer of the table and found his spare key. Bucky had returned it before leaving for boot camp. Without hesitation, he pressed it into her hand. She opened it, eyes wide at the sight.

"You come back if you need, alright? I don't mind having you here… I like it, actually. I don't get much company nowadays."

He walked to the door, grabbing his coat from the hook and shrugging it on, glad for an excuse to hide his flushed face at what he'd just admitted outright.

"Steve?"

He turned around slowly. Hermione shuffled where she stood, wringing her hands, her eyes suspiciously wet. She huffed, then charged him, almost bowling him over as he stepped back against the door. Then her hands came around him. She was hugging him tightly, like a teddy bear.

"Thank you," she said against his neck, raising goosebumps where he could feel her breath.

Steve belatedly hugged her back, his heart beating much too fast. He wondered if a hug could cause heart failure.

Steve worried for Hermione all day while he was at work. He wondered what she was doing, hoping she was alright and taking it easy. She was still injured after all, even if she had seemed not to be in too much pain today. He was relieved when he finally washed his brushes and returned them to the supply cabinet at the end of the day. He didn't bother trying to get the paint off his hands. In his eagerness to finish all his projects today, he had gotten more paint on himself that usual. Instead, he went straight to the accounting office to get his pay. He'd stop on his way back for groceries so he could be a proper host and offer his guest something to eat. He had a nagging thought at the back of his mind that Hermione might not be there, might not ever return, that the possibility he would never seen her again was actually quite high, but he chose not to dwell on it.

When he finally made it back, his breathing was a bit short from the exertion of carrying more weight than usual with the grocery bags. He gave himself a minute to catch his breath in front of his own door and hesitated. Here, the illusion that he was not alone, that someone was waiting for him at home was still strong, but as soon as he opened that door, it could come crashing down around him. He couldn't hear anything inside, but standing there like a numbnut wasn't going to give him answers, so he took one deep breath and turned the doorknob, finding it unlocked, his heart skipped a beat as he pushed it open.

"Steve!" Hermione greeted him. "How was your day?"

He smiled at the welcome. She was like a ray of sunshine. He could get used to this.

"Fine. Got food so we don't have to eat those old beans."

She laughed and took the bags from him, setting them on the table.

"Don't diss the beans, Steve. They're alright in a bind."

True enough. He wondered if she'd ever been hungry enough to eat the dratted things. It made him worry about the future knowing that people would still go hungry, but maybe some things would never change: there were those who were rich and had never known the pangs of hunger, and those who were poor and lived with them daily.

"How did you fare today?" he asked instead.

"Good! I got hired," she said and his eyebrows shot up. That was fast. "And then I got fired. I'm a terrible waitress. I never realized it was such a difficult job."

"What happened?"

"Well, apparently men can slap my arse without anyone batting an eye, but I'm not allowed to slap them back for being pigs."

Steve was equal parts horrified and amused.

"Sorry you had to go through that."

She shrugged.

"I've known worse. Anyway, after I got kicked to the kerb, I applied to other places but seems word gets around pretty fast. Then I found this library, but they wouldn't hire a woman if you can believe that. It's not like men are all being shipped off to fight a bloody war. Besides, an orangutan could do the work they were hiring for, so I left, but bowled over a man on my way out and spilled his notes everywhere."

"I'm still waiting for the good part of your story," Steve noted as he unpacked the grocery bags. So far, her day sounded horrendous.

"Getting there," she said with a bright smile. "I apologized of course, and helped the bloke gather his notes, but I noticed a mistake in his translation just begging for me to correct it, so I pointed it out to him."

"Translation? From what?"

"Ancient Norse."

"Ancient… what?"

"Norse. You know, runes. I studied it at school."

"Is that a common subject in England?"

She shook her head.

"Not at all. And the man didn't even believe me at first. He dragged me into the library to check it out and had to admit I was right. And then he hired me."

"Just like that?" Steve asked incredulously. "What about references?"

"Well… I gave him your name and address. I hope that's alright?" Steve nodded. "I told him I had freshly arrived in New York with just the clothes on my back so I didn't have my credentials, which is actually the truth, and he gave me this weird look so I'm not sure what he thinks my background is, but he didn't pry anymore. I guess he was just relieved he had found an expert in Runes. It looked like he had been struggling, poor guy. Took him twenty minutes to verify that one rune, if you can believe it."

"So you're some sort of expert in Runes?"

"Amongst other things. Only problem is that he gave me this sheet to translate to convince his boss of my skills, but I can't write correctly with my left hand and my right is still too sore."

He watched the paper she had scribbled on, trying to read what he supposed should be english. He'd seen three years old with better penmanship and had to bite back a smile.

"Need help?"

"I knew I could count on my knight to come to the rescue once more."

Steve did his best not to show how pleased he was and rolled up his sleeves.

"At your command," he said as he sat in her still warm chair, pen at the ready.

Steve expected to write a few words now and then as she deciphered the runes. It looked like a code of small geometric shapes to him, but he found himself writing non stop as if she was merely a filter from one language to the next.

"Whoa, you're fluent. It's impressive. They'd be idiots not to take you on. Do you know how much work they have for you?"

"No. That's one point on which the bloke was rather cagey. But he seemed interested in the other languages I'm proficient at for future projects, so hopefully, I've secured my means of survival for as long as I'm here."

He wondered if she meant here, in this time, or here, in his flat, with him, but he was too much of a coward to ask outright. So he latched on to his next point of curiosity.

"Other languages?"

"Latin, ancient Egyptian, Greek, French and a smattering of Bulgarian, but I think it's the hieroglyphs they're most interested in. I wonder if the History books were right…"

She trailed off, deep in thought, while Steve was, ironically, struck speechless. He didn't know why. He had known from the start she was brighter than most people he knew, but he had not imagined she was so educated. Not many women were, and none that he knew.

"So you're really, really smart," he concluded, feeling inadequate on a whole other level.

"I've been told that, but then I go and do something incredibly stupid like getting lost in the Forties."

After folding the translation and slipping it in her coat for the next day, they prepared dinner together, talking easily about their day. Hermione wanted to know what he did exactly after teasing him about all the colourful splatters of paint on his hands and once he'd told her, she nagged him to show her his sketchbooks. He had no doubt she always got what she wanted, but he liked watching her flip through his old drawings. He was struck with a feeling his life had suddenly turned perfect, too perfect, and he truly feared what would happen when the penny dropped.

He felt bad letting her sleep on the old couch again, but she'd assured him she had slept on much worse. He had to wonder once more how the future was. Hearing her, it sometimes sounded as bleak at it was today.

"Legs! Clothes!" Steve squeaked the next morning when he found Hermione walking around half naked again with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Guess I should go shopping for some clothes. I need more knickers, too."

He slapped his hands on his ears.

"Too much information! Hermione, Jesus!"

She smirked and handed him a cup of coffee, so he was forced to relinquish his ears to whatever scandalous topic would next cross her lips. She hadn't strayed far however.

"What do women wear for bed here, anyway?"

"Nightgowns? I'm really not the best person to ask. Bucky would know."

"Ah, yes. The lady's man. But I think he skips the nightclothes entirely and just takes them to bed naked, right?"

"Hermione!"

She laughed.

"And my friends think I'm the prude one."

"Morals must have really loosened up in the future," he muttered.

"Yeah, guess you could say that."

Steve noticed her mood suddenly plummet.

"Do you have someone? From where you're from? If you disappeared so suddenly, they're going to be worried sick."

"Well… since I travelled back in time, I still have a chance of getting back to the same exact date I disappeared from, and no one would notice, except if I stay here too long and visibly age in which case it might be awkward to suddenly be so much older than my peers. So I guess it's lucky I don't have anyone who's really going to miss me."

"No one?"

She ticked off on her fingers.

"No boyfriend, no family, my friends are all married are popping out babies like they're going out of fashion so they're busy enough as it is, and my cat just died, the very night I disappeared…" She shook her head at the memory of poor Crooks all stiff in her arms, and forced a smile back on her face. "I guess my superior at work might notice my files piling up on my desk in a few more days."

Steve opened his mouth, raking his brain for something to say, but came up short. He hadn't expected to find someone even more lonely than he was.

"Don't bother," she said as if she'd read her mind. "I did that to myself, pushing people away. I-" she sighed. "There was a war and it took my parents away first. Then too many friends, and those that made it through were changed. I wasn't the same either. I couldn't look at the empty spaces where people should be without feeling guilty that I hadn't done more, tried harder-"

"The future doesn't sound any better than the present."

"It is, in some aspects, but humankind is cursed to repeat their errors, I guess. Come on, enough maudlin talk for now. Wish me luck for today?"


	3. Life Changer

**A/N: So I'm not saying I'll always post this fast, but I want to get the story moving to have your opinion on it and feedback has been amazing so far :)**

Steve got home first that day. He worried the darker it got out. Maybe he should have offered to pick her up, but he didn't want to seem too clingy. Besides, it could simply mean her job interview had gone well. Why not? She was obviously very smart and capable. Still, he was relieved when she finally opened the door, looking happy and sheepish as she held a large brown parcel in her hands.

"Let me guess," he said before she could speak. "You got hired, had your nose in dusty parchments all day, and brought the largest nightgown you could find to celebrate."

She laughed and swatted him playfully, then walked passed him to drop her parcel on the table. It made a soft sound so he was sure he was right about it being clothes.

"I did get hired, I did not see a single rune or hieroglyph today, and if that's a nightgown, it's got to be the most uncomfortable one in existence. Care to guess again? One out of three isn't so bad."

"No. I'll get dinner started and you tell me all about it."

She did get the job as it turned out, but spent all day there, not to start her work on translations, but to be vetted by her employer, which was none other than the US army. Apparently, they had done a background check on him too, since she lived with him, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Hermione for her part wasn't sure how to feel about the job offer.

"I'm not supposed to be here. What if I muck everything up? Change history? Maybe change it so badly, I erase myself or create a paradox?"

"But what if this is exactly the place you're supposed to be? You said so yourself, you had nothing holding you back in your time and you have no idea how you came here. Maybe it's… I don't know… fate? A divine intervention? Sending you where you need to be?"

"I don't know… it's giving me a headache, to be honest. I've only been here a couple days and your government already wants me to sign all these confidentiality papers and wear their ridiculous uniform-"

"What?" Steve asked and glanced at the package.

First Bucky was drafted, and now Hermione was hired, but they still refused to accept him despite his many attempts to volunteer? It seemed so unfair, but he forced a smile on his lips for her.

"Is that what's in the package, then?"

"Yes. It's mostly for show though, so I can access- Wait. I don't think I can even tell you where I'll be working. Or what I'll be doing. I'm really not sure I should accept this job."

"If you can do some good, I think that you should," he said and meant it.

Her shoulders sagged.

"I suppose you're right. Who knows how long I'll be here, after all? I sent off a letter to my old Professor in Scotland, but I guess it'll be a while before he receives it, and then just as long to get a reply, if he even believes me. It feels like a very long shot, but I'm not sure what else to do."

"You should stop worrying for a start. You're starting to have a permanent groove right here," he said, poking the furrow on her brow.

"You're one to talk," she said and returned the gesture. "Guess I have an early day tomorrow. I hate to ask, but where the hell is your bathroom?"

"You're sitting in it."

She looked around.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not."

"It's a kitchen, living room, bedroom. What makes you think it's not a bathroom too?"

He revealed the small tub masquerading as the kitchen counter, amused how she look both shocked and awed.

"That's actually quite ingenious. Funny I never knew these sort of details. You don't mind if I bath? I'd rather start with a good impression and I'm starting to smell ripe."

"No. Sure. I'll just- Do you need help setting it up?"

She nodded and he explained how to unhook the counter and add a hose to the kitchen tap to fill it up, then showed her where the soap and towels were.

"I'll be in my room. Call if you need anything."

He got ready for bed, trying hard not to listen to the sound of water sloshing in the next room because it invariably led to him thinking there was a very naked dame bathing just on the other side. He sat on the edge of his bed, then let himself fall back and groaned in frustration. He was glad to have met Hermione, truly, even happier she was staying with him, but he certainly hadn't thought it through. He had never had to deal with so many hard ons before. It was just plain ridiculous, and a bit creepy. But he was just a man, and Hermione a sweet girl. Pretty too. Which didn't help matters. Really, he could not be blamed for the state he was in.

"I feel like I should salute or something," Steve said the next morning when he found her already dressed in her uniform, with breakfast laid out for them both.

"Don't be silly. I don't even have military training."

"Yes, but you've earned it with your brains. You should embrace it."

Her expression lightened.

"You always know what to say. I really wish I'd met you sooner."

"Can't get much sooner that 56 years in the past, Hermione. What's you rank?"

She turned her arm to show off the three chevrons.

"Sergeant. It's the lowest they could make me to have easy access without rousing too many questions. Can you believe they asked me if I could speak "normally"?"

Steve laughed.

"I like your accent. I hope you told them to… how do you say it… bugger off?"

"No. Didn't want to get fired so soon. Speaking of, Steve. Now that I have a job." Steve felt a knot form in his stomach. This was it then. She didn't need him anymore. "I'd like to pay rent, if I can still stay here, that is. I know you gave me a key, and your offer was rather open ended, but I really don't-"

"Yes!" he said with relief and his cheeks spontaneously burned brighter than the sun.

"Yes I can pay rent?"

"No!"

She giggled.

"You're going to have to make up your mind, Steve."

"Yes, I'd like it if you stayed. No, I don't need you to pay rent."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you don't let me pay rent, I'll find someplace else where they'll be happy to take my money."

"That's… blackmail!"

"Good. I see we understand each other. See you tonight, Steve," she said and kissed his cheek before sauntering out.

Steve stayed where he sat, his coffee turning cold as he stared at the door. His fingers lingered over the spot where she had left a kiss, as if it was no big deal. Maybe it wasn't for her. Women from the future were strange and complicated and utterly fascinating.

They had a routine set in place after she started working for the army: she'd prepare breakfast, he'd help her braid her hair while her wrist was still too weak to wrestle her curls, she would kiss his cheek and wish him good day. Meanwhile, he would find work here and there, barely enough to make ends meet before, but with Hermione's added income, they even went out now and then so he could show her around the city, treat themselves to diners and go to the cinema. It felt suspiciously like dates, and they would even hold hands sometimes on their way back. It had started one night so they wouldn't get separated in a crowded street, but he had kept his fingers linked with hers long after, and any excuse was good enough to hold her hand again after that day. He still couldn't quite believe his life had turned around this much.

Steve introduced Hermione to Maggie, as promised, and they got along great. Too much sometimes, because he'd catch them looking at him and giggling. He'd bet Maggie was telling her embarrassing childhood stories about him, and she had them in spades.

All was well until Hermione received a letter. Steve recognized her own, barely legible handwriting from when her wrist was badly injured. The letter had been returned to the sender with words scribbled over the front: _no such address, no such name._

"It's impossible," she said, tears coming to her eyes.

"Maybe you got it wrong?"

"I've lived there for years. Everyone knows Dumbledore. It just had to get to Hogsmeade and the letter would find him. I don't understand. I- I have to go out," she said suddenly and grabbed her odd cloak.

"I'm coming with you."

"You don't have to."

"I'm coming. You know it's not safe at this hour."

She nodded and grabbed his hand, pulling him through the streets until he was too winded to follow her frantic pace.

"Hermione, please. Not so fast."

"I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes. She was biting her bottom lip, which she hadn't done in a long while, so she had to be very upset.

"It's alright. We'll get there, Hermione, all in good time."

They continued at a more sedate pace, but he could swear he felt the tension thick around her, as if she was generating a giant ball of static electricity. It was a very strange feeling which made the hairs on his neck stand on end.

She stopped in front of the Woolworth building and paced in front of it, peeked inside, walked around it.

"It's not here. It should be. I'm sure I read this is where it should be."

After ten minutes, he stopped her in her tracks, putting both hands on her arms.

"Hermione, what are you looking for?"

She glanced around, as it afraid someone would overhear, then pulled him into a dark corner.

"The entrance to New York's wizarding district," she whispered.

Steve blinked at her, certain he had not misheard but unable to understand what she meant.

"You don't believe me," she said, her face falling.

"It's not that. I just don't understand."

She pulled him into a dark corner.

"I'm a witch," she said.

"A witch?"

"I have magic."

"Magic?"

She huffed.

"Don't freak out, okay. I didn't use it before because I was afraid they'd come arrest me, but now, I _need_ to know they're here."

She took out her stick, the smooth polished one she tried to hit the drunkard with that night he'd met her for the first time. She waved it around, then said some foreign words and the most magnificent thing he had ever seen sprang out of the end of her stick, an animal made of pure light gallivanting around them. Those few people in the street came to investigate the bright ball of bouncing light and froze in shock, staring at them, but Steve didn't care. The little magical creature made his heart lighter and happier than it had ever been before. Hermione waited, tense, and when nothing happened, she spoke to her creature.

"Go find someone, anyone from the MACUSA and lead them back here."

The creature jumped around but returned to her, tilting its head.

"Go to any witch or wizard, tell them I need help."

"Again, the creature just looked confused."

"Find Dumbledore."

Again, nothing, and the creature faded then disappeared. Hermione broke down, sobbing right there on the pavement while more people crowded around them.

"We have to leave," he whispered urgently. "Right now."

She seemed to realize how much attention she'd drawn and pulled her cloak tighter around her uniform, then waved her wand again, but in a different pattern and with different words. The people suddenly began leaving every which way as if nothing extraordinary had just happened.

"So… a witch," he concluded.

"We'd better talk about this at home," she said and they walked back in silence.

Just when he thought she couldn't turn his world upside down any more that she already had, she went and scrambled it again. He didn't know what was worse: that he wasn't afraid of her when she admitted to being a witch, or that he was stupidly happy she had just called his cramped little tenement home. He was, however, disappointed and quite a bit angry she had kept this secret from him for so long.

Once the door was closed, she divested herself of her cloak and vest before loosening her tie and falling apathetically on her couch. She patted the seat next to her and he joined her, sitting close as was their habit.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said right off the bat.

His anger deflated like a balloon meeting a nail. He heaved a heavy sigh.

"I thought if I used magic, they would come and arrest me for illegal tampering of time, and then I got used to not using magic and didn't see the point of telling you."

"You could have. I would have kept your secret."

"I know you would but it's impossible. In the future… or where I'm from, they obliviate muggles who learn about magic. It means they erase the minds of people who don't have magic but learned about it. That's how my society protects itself, and it has been doing so for centuries."

"But if they erased magic from my mind… you…"

She shook her head.

"You wouldn't remember me. I didn't want you to forget about me. I know that's selfish, but you're all I have, Steve. Even when I landed here and had nothing, I still had you."

Steve's eyes went wide. Her words echoed with him on such a deep level. He'd said very similar words once to Bucky, who'd then punched him in the shoulder and called him a ninny, but he'd had that same look she now had, and that he probably had too. He opened his mouth, but once more, he couldn't find the right words. This was too much to process all at once. He closed his mouth. And she had said he always knew what to say.

"Steve?"

"I- You'll always have me, Hermione. I promise."

She inched closer. Her eyes were so large, like doe eyes. Soft brown, with long lashes. And she smelled so good, like his soap, only it somehow smelled better on her. He wanted to kiss her, to finally claim those lips after weeks of pining, but this was probably not the right time and he had no idea what he was supposed to do… He needn't worry though, because she leaned closer and claimed his. He's never imagined a kiss to feel like this: soft, yes, but like electricity was running through him too.

He followed her lead while his hands got adventurous and lay on her thighs before going up over her hips and resting at her waist. However, his head started spinning and he jerked back.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said breathlessly. "I thought-"

"No, stop. You thought correctly. It's just me. I think I forgot to breathe."

She relaxed and the way her shoulders shook, she had to be laughing. He smiled even if she was laughing at him, because only he got into these sort of situations.

"Sorry," he said. "I don't have much experience."

"Kissing?"

"With dames in general," he admitted. "I'm not exactly what women look for in a partner."

She frowned as she observed him.

"You mean a sweet, talented guy with a heart as large as Mount Rushmore, a sense of humour, who is always there for me and braids my hair in the morning so I don't look like a wild jungle beast going to work?"

Fire in his cheeks, he determinedly kept his eyes locked on hers.

"I mean a penniless guy with a weak constitution who doesn't have much to offer and isn't much of a looker."

"Only your heart matters to me, Steve. I really mean that."

She did, too. Somehow, she had looked beyond his exterior and really liked him. She had kissed him. And then he had ruined it. You get better with practice, Bucky had said, so, without second guessing himself for once in his life, Steve leaned towards her and kissed her once, twice, caught her bottom lip and let it go and he had that familiar want for more, so he pressed his lips more firmly against hers, feeling her respond with enthusiasm. He had to keep reminding himself to breathe because it was so easy to forget with the onslaught of sensations. Steve thought he would burst when he felt her tongue brush against his and it took him a while to get used to it, to find what he liked, what she seemed to like when she hummed and pressed herself closer. He felt dizzy when they broke the kiss, but in a good way this time.

"You're a fast learner," she said breathlessly.

"You're a good teacher," he replied with a lazy smile.

They sank deeper into the couch, leaning against one another, holding hands, just enjoying the moment.

He had a million questions to ask her, but knew this wasn't the right time. She had to process what she had learned tonight before she could talk about it. He would wait and be there when she did.

Of course they fell asleep in the most uncomfortable place possible. He knew this couch was murder. It was a wonder Hermione had slept in it for so long, never once complaining. Maybe he could convince her to share his bed… but the idea was dismissed just as soon. There was no way he was going to treat Hermione like some harlot. However, he'd rather she took his bed all the same, even without him in it.

So he would enjoy the time he had with his girl sleeping on his chest with his arm around her. It was such a heady feeling, and she felt so small and fragile there that it made him feel strong and protective in comparison… and with a raging erection. Quite manly all in all. But he hoped to dear God she did not notice, or that she slept until it was gone.

But she moaned soon after, wiggled against him, then opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep out of them.

"Uhmm. Unplanned sleepover?" she asked.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, you could say that."

She sat up, pushing away the blankets he'd managed to pull over them during the night, and, despite still being dressed, his state of arousal was quite obvious.

He pulled the blanket back to cover himself.

"Don't worry. I've shared a tent with two boys for a year. Morning wood is not going to shock me anytime soon."

He stared at her in confusion and flushed in embarrassment.

"What?"

"I guess I should tell you my life story one of these days."

"Yeah, I really think you should."

Loose morals… Jeez. Just talking about morning erections like it's nothing.

"Just so I know how deep out of water I am here, would you mind telling me how many boyfriends you've had?"

He wondered if she really was a female Bucky sometimes.

"Not as many as you seem to think. Two, I guess, and I didn't even sleep with Viktor."

"So one?"

"Alright, just the one. And honestly, I'd erase the experience if I could. Well, I technically could, but it's a bit dangerous pointing your own wand at your head."

Right. A witch. He'd almost forgotten. How was that possible!? It was probably one of the most insane things he'd ever witnessed and he'd forgotten… He wished they had time to talk about it but Hermione was already running late.

"I think you're going to need to iron your uniform," he pointed out.

"I can't believe I slept in the thing. Seems you get that point for guessing it was a nightgown after all. I really don't have time to iron it though."

Steve was about to offer to do it when she withdrew her magic wand out.

"Want to see a magic trick?" she asked and he nodded eagerly.

Her uniform ironed itself out impeccably, her hair braided itself to perfection, food and mugs began to float through the air as magic prepared breakfast, then his own clothes ironed themselves out and his hair combed itself. It took all of three minutes where it would have taken at least twenty without magic.

"That's… fantastic!"

"Isn't it just? It's also why wizards and witches are usually some of the laziest people you will ever meet."

She seemed to catch herself, remembering she was the only witch around here, and became quiet and pensive while she picked at her breakfast. But that day, before she left, she kissed him on the lips instead of the cheek.


	4. Deep Breath

Over the next few days, Hermione told him everything about herself and her life read like a book. He could feel she had softened some parts and glossed over others completely, but he was so grateful she would trust him to even share this much. And his girl wasn't just sweet and smart and beautiful, she was also a bad-ass who had kicked nazi-wizards arse during her magical war. But at such a young age… It made him angry.

"War touches everyone, whether you fight in it or not. I just happened to be right in the eye of the storm and had to give it my all if I wanted to live through it. I paid for it, in blood and nightmares… it changed me. But if I had to do it all over again, I would," she finished with a nod, putting down the "sock-juice" as she had called the only tea she could find at the grocers. "Maybe that's why I'm here."

She dropped her head into his lap, her unbound hair hiding the sketchbook on which he had been trying to capture her likeness.

"Because you're a blood-thirsty, vengeful little soldier who can't get enough of fighting nazis?"

"Maybe," she said with a smile. "And maybe you should kiss me with that smart mouth of yours."

He didn't need any more encouragement. He dropped his pencil and buried his fingers in her wild curls. Bucky had been right: practice makes perfect. He wondered if that applied to the bedroom too, but they weren't there quite yet, not with Hermione still processing being in what she called "an alternate dimension". A carbon copy of her own Earth but with one major difference: the absence of magic, or rather of magical society since her own magic worked just fine.

She had seemed to be grieving for a couple of days, before snapping out of it somehow and resuming her life just like before that damned letter had returned, using little magic except in case of emergency, which to be honest, could be anything from a mislaid hairbrush to the stove breaking down. Not to mention she could fill her bath in record time and heat the water much more efficiently that using the tip, much hotter too, and less expensive. It was difficult not to love magic. And then she said she could enlarge the tub to fit for two and he had done an about face and fled to his bedroom. He wasn't much to look at with his clothes on, without his clothes, he just looked sad. Bony and pasty white… his only saving grace was that she didn't have many points of comparison to other male specimens, but he doubted she'd like what she saw.

He sketched in his bedroom while she bathed, listening to the water splashing about and the way she hummed upbeat tunes he had never heard before, when she suddenly screeched and something crashed against the wall. Steve was up like a shot and he yanked the door to the main room open, only to find Bucky standing there with a stupid grin on his face.

"Buck!"

Steve threw his arms around him, getting the same in return.

"Hey, Stevey! You've got a naked dame in your bath."

Steve grinned despite knowing Hermione was probably one second away from hexing them both out of the room.

"Yeah, I do. And what did you bring?"

A wet washcloth hit him square in the head and he laughed, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright, we're leaving!" Steve said as he pushed Bucky out.

They sat on the steps leading up to his flat, Bucky looking out of place in his crisp uniform while Steve only wore one of his old shirts and baggy slacks.

"So, things have changed during my absence. Did the dames start flocking to you when the better looking of us left?"

Steve snorted.

"No. They still avoid me like the plague. Your flock of bird is still out there somewhere, ripe for the taking."

"Except the doll up there. She's pretty."

"She's much more than that."

Bucky raised an eyebrow, his smile growing wide as he clapped him on the shoulder.

"Look at you all grown up! Smitten and all. Thought I'd never see the day."

"Neither did I, to be honest. I still can't believe it."

Steve told him how they'd met and how it started, but then had to omit the parts about the magic because it was not his secret to tell, but at the same time, he felt a twist of guilt at doing so, because he'd never lied to Bucky before and keeping this from him felt wrong. They'd always shared everything before. And Bucky looked so genuinely happy for him, it made his guilt grow. So he changed the subject and asked his friend about boot camp and how he'd fared over there. Quite well judging by his sergeant stripes. Just like Hermione. Those two always seemed to collide on some level or other. Maybe alternate dimension Hermione really was Bucky.

"Boys! Dinner's on the table," Hermione called from above,

Steve hadn't realized they'd been talking for so long.

"You better apologize for walking in on her bathing, Buck."

"But I'm not sorry. Thoroughly enjoyed the view in fact."

Steve scowled darkly. He hadn't seen Hermione naked. The Universe was being unnecessarily cruel to give that privilege to Bucky when he could just look at any woman to make her panties drop.

"Be careful or she'll _make_ you sorry."

"I seriously doubt that pal, just because _you're_ whipped doesn't -"

Bucky trailed off as he caught sight of Hermione, thankfully dressed, in her uniform. He glanced at him with a scandalized look on his face he had never seen before, then stared back at her.

"Sergeant," she said.

Steve could see the aforementioned whip now, only it wasn't directed at him.

"Sergeant," Bucky replied smoothly, but seemed to be standing at attention.

A beat passed during which they could have heard a fly buzz. Bucky coughed, clearing his throat.

"I apologize for earlier. I should have knocked."

Hermione relaxed and smiled now that was out of the way.

"Bucky, right? Steve told me so much about you."

Bucky relaxed too.

"All good I hope."

"Depends on your definition of good, I suppose."

As Steve had suspected, once the bath incident was forgiven, the two hit it right off the bat, talking mostly about him at first, then about the army and the war. Observing the two of them over his slice of the pie Maggie had brought up earlier, he couldn't help but think they'd make a far better couple, well matched in everything including looks. A familiar warm hand on his own brought him out of his musings.

"You look exhausted," Hermione said.

"Yeah, I should probably rest. Guess I'm still not a hundred percent over that cold. You around here for a bit, Buck?"

Bucky looked tense, as he always did when he learned he had been sick and he hadn't been there to help. He nodded.

"I'll just crash on the couch, if you don't mind."

Steve exchanged a look with Hermione whose cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. Bucky looked between them with a puzzled expression.

"Unless you do?"

"That's where Hermione sleeps," Steve said, words tumbling out of him.

Bucky frowned,

"But aren't you two, you know…"

Steve's cheeks burned with the fires of a thousand hell pits.

"We're just…"

Words. Failing him as always when he most needed them.

"It's fine," Hermione continued. "I… We can…"

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose, and he was either sighing heavily or laughing his arse off.

"I can't believe it, Stevey. You manage to snag yourself a lovely dame and you give up one step away from the bedroom? Do I have to show you kids how it's done?"

"Bucky!" Steve exclaimed. "You can't just say things like that!"

Hermione ruined his outrage by succumbing to a fit of giggles. Bucky elbowed him to catch his attention.

"I like her," he said in a stage whisper. "I fully expected her to throw me out: problem solved."

Steve smiled at him, the devious punk.

"Stay. It's fine. Hermione?"

He offered her his hand and she took it, wiping away her tears of mirth with her other hand.

"Good night, Bucky," she said as she walked past him.

"Night, Buck."

He'd barely closed the door when Bucky hollered back at them.

"If you need pointers, I'll be right here! Pretending I'm not listening!"

Hermione laughed again.

"He's just like you described him," she said. "And here I thought you were exaggerating."

"Never," Steve said, shaking his head.

He looked at the bed. He didn't mind sleeping with Hermione. They had shared the couch and he had loved it, even with the embarrassment of the next morning, but he had had the excuse of accidentally falling asleep to stay dressed. Here in the privacy of his bedroom, it was impossible to justify.

"It's alright, Steve," Hermione said as she squeezed his hand. "We don't have to do anything."

Steve pursed his lips. He certainly didn't deserve Hermione's patience with his issues. Just getting naked was a challenge for him, not to mention all the other stuff. Why couldn't he be more like Bucky?

"What if I want to?" he said defiantly, jutting his chin out in a show of courage he didn't truly feel.

She shifted so she could face him and catch his eye.

"Really? You're not just saying that because Bucky was teasing us?"

"No."

Maybe a little. Everything was so easy for him.

"Alright. I… I'll start," she said and shed her tie, throwing it on the chair next to the bed.

She unbuttoned the top button of her blouse next, then another two, revealing a slither of pale skin and the hint of her cleavage, causing his breathing to hitch. He took a deep, slow breath. He had to stay in control. Or even take control. He raised tentative fingers, ignoring the way they seemed to shake. Hermione didn't comment on it in any case, and she let her own hands drop. It was easier to breathe now that he had a focus, one button, then another. He tucked her shirt out of her skirt and undid the last two buttons. The shirt opened of its own volition, no longer held together by its fastenings, and it slipped off her left shoulder, revealing more white skin which seemed to glow in the dim of the room. She was breathing hard too now, her breast heaving up and down behind the constraints of her simple white bra. He pushed the right side of her shirt off her right shoulder, like unveiling a work of art. She really was beautiful, all curves and softness. The rest of her shirt slipped off, sliding down her arms and falling on the floor with barely a rustle as he looked back up at her.

She smiled and looked flushed, her eyes shining as they reflected the light behind the curtains. She guided his hand to her waist where he found the button to her skirt, the zipper. Once undone, the skirt fell off and she was standing in just her underwear, far more revealing than the strange clothes she had slept in on her first few days living with him. As his eyes travelled back up from the new territory unveiled, his eye caught on the raised flesh peeking out from under her bra, reflecting with a silver sheen. He trailed his fingers over it, a light touch, barely there in case the old scar hurt, wondering when she had gotten it.

"Can I?" she asked with a breathy voice that stirred him from deep within.

Her hands rested on his chest, her desire to reciprocate and undress him evident. Unable to speak just yet, he nodded. How could he refuse her when she offered herself so willingly to him? She unbuttoned his shirt, her eyes intent on her task. She would see him. He knew she wouldn't care about his sickly appearance, but his logic was being beaten to a pulp by his fear like a skinny boy in an alleyway pummeled by a bully. His chest tightened painfully under the onslaught of emotions by the time she undid the last button and what little control he had over his breathing snapped like a rubber band. He coughed, then wheezed and he hated himself so much.

"Steve!" Hermione exclaimed. "Oh Merlin, I'm sorry! Here, sit down. Breathe!"

But the note of fear in her voice alarmed him, caused him to tense up even more.

"Steve, no! Relax, please!"

She tried to uncurl him, free his lungs but it hurt so much.

"Steve?"

And now Bucky, but he couldn't be here right now.

"Oh, fuck! Hold on, bud."

Bucky was efficient, forceful when necessary. He had done this dozens of times before and gave Hermione directions with a military edge to his voice he had never heard before. In no time, which felt like an eternity, his breathing eased.

"Sorry," he managed to say.

To her. To him. For being who he was.

"Shush, Steve. You just focus on getting air in those pesky lungs."

So he did, and, exhausted, he closed his eyes but felt Hermione settle next to him, holding his hand while Bucky sat at the head of his bed on his other side, a strong hand on his shoulder so he would know he was there too. Steve was surprised they all managed to fit in the bed but he supposed he and Hermione were rather on the small side.

"Happen often?" Bucky asked, thinking no doubt he was asleep already, although he didn't have the strength to let him know otherwise.

"No, just the once, but it wasn't this bad. We'd just been laughing and I didn't know at the time he had asthma. I dealt better with it back then, but tonight- I didn't expect him to-"

"Was pretty bad, yeah."

Silence fell for a while, his slight wheezing the only sound in the room.

"You know you're still naked, right?" Bucky asked.

Steve tried to move, to tell him off, but he couldn't so much as look his way.

"I'm not naked," she hissed back like an angry cat. "Just don't look at me."

"I'm having a hard time being in bed with a naked dame and not looking at her."

Steve huffed but it got lost in the noise Hermione made as she left his side. He was going to kill Bucky if he managed to drive her away where he hadn't. But she returned soon after and let her fingers play in his hair.

"You wearing Steve's shirt is oddly appealing."

"And I think Steve was being overly polite when he called you a lady's man."

"Really? And what would you call me, darling?"

"A horndog."

"Is that some Brit expression?"

Try a futuristic one, Steve thought wryly. Hermione hummed, then explained herself.

"Horny dog."

Bucky chuckled.

"Harsh. Funny. I see why Steve likes you," Bucky slumped lower in the bed. They'd shared a bed often enough since they were kids. Because he was sick, or scared, or because it was the only way to keep warm during the harshest winters. "I won't worry so much when I'm shipped off, knowing he'll have someone to take care of him."

"We take care of each other," Hermione corrected.

"Must be nice."

There was a willful tone to his voice. It was silly. Bucky wasn't the sort to settle down. He liked to play the field. Maybe it was knowing he was being shipped off, with no ties back home save his sickly friend? He made a mental note to talk about it to Bucky on the morrow and fell asleep to the comforting tones of the two people who mattered most to him.

Steve woke up alone in bed the next morning and wondered if he'd dreamed the whole night. He hoped he had. How the heck was he going to look either of them in the eye today?

An argument sounded next door and he decided he'd better get over himself and keep the peace between them before one strangled the other. Still, he didn't expect them to be arm wrestling over the table.

"What-"

He didn't have time to ask anymore. Hermione slammed Bucky's hand against the table, declaring herself the winner.

"I got distracted! It's not fair. I demand a rematch!"

"No way, you sissy boy. I won fair and square. You better hold your end of the bargain, or I'll tell everyone you lost against a girl half your size."

"Steve!" Bucky whined. "Your girl is evil."

"Why? Did you just bet your soul?"

Hermione snorted and poured him his coffee, pushing it his way with a wink. Given her size and utter lack of muscles, it was a safe bet to assume she had used her magic to pull one over on Bucky. Steve sat between his friends, waiting to hear what trouble Bucky had managed to get himself into.

"A dame! She'll never get over the disappointment."

"You don't need two girls on your arm, Barns. You can't sully your uniform in such a way."

"Two?" Steve asked, eyebrows shooting up. That was a bit crass, even by his standards.

"Hey! One of them was for you, bud. I didn't know you'd already gotten yourself a beauty of your own."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"And this cad here said he was going to bring both."

"I'm gonna have to side with Hermione on this one, Buck. Just one thing though, where are we going exactly?"

Bucky reached into his vest, depositing four tickets to the Stark Expo in flushing Meadows that night. Steve grinned. He'd wanted to take Hermione, but by the time he'd gotten around to buying tickets, they were already sold out.

"Wait a minute," Hermione said, eyeing the tickets. "Were you going to make those poor girls fight for one of those tickets?"

Bucky grinned.

"No… But I like how you think!"

Hermione shook her head and finished her cup. Standing, she smoothed out her uniform and pecked him on the lips, just as she always did, as if last night had never happened. He knew this wasn't the time to have that discussion when she had to leave for work, so he wished her a good day.

"Hermione! Don't I get a kiss too?" Bucky shouted before she could close the door.

"You've got cooties!" she shot back.

"Damn. I think I'm jealous," Bucky told him.

"Well, that's a first." His laugh died on his lips as he recalled the previous night. "About last night…"

"Hey, think nothing of it. Hermione understands. You know I do. I feel like I should be the one apologizing though. I didn't realize pushing you two together would trigger an attack."

Steve looked at the table, the cracks and stains in the old wood.

"So you two never…"

He shook his head.

"I panicked. Not because of… that, because I want to. I really want to. But just the thought she would see what's under…"

Steve gestured at his bony shoulders, sunken chest, meaning everything.

"I'm sure she wouldn't think any less of you. In fact, I think she loves you for who you really are. That's a rare gift, Steve."

"I know, I know. I think I love her too. I never told her. I'm an idiot. I should tell her."

"Don't wait too long. Time is a precious thing nowadays."


	5. A Fork in rhe Road

Steve and Bucky spent most of the morning talking their ears off, catching up, then spent the afternoon wandering around Brooklyn because Bucky wanted to soak in his neighbourhood before being shipped off to parts unknown. Hermione was due to finish late because of a last minute meeting, and she seemed on edge when she returned, meeting them at the expositions entrance, her smile brittle. She kissed him, then leaned to the side to look behind Bucky.

"Well, where's your date?"

Steve and Bucky exchanged a glance, trying their best not to laugh.

"I forgot. Wait, don't chew me out yet. I didn't mean to! But they've gotta be long gone now, I was due to meet them an hour ago."

"I don't have words for how terrible you are, Barns."

"Honest mistake. You should blame Steve. He's the one who distracted me all day." A rise in volume coming from the exposition caught their attention. "Come on! I don't want to miss Stark's presentation."

He hurried ahead, as eager as kid on Christmas morning, which was just as well because his exuberance and sharp elbows were creating them a path through the packed crowd, parting people like Moses did the red sea. They lost track of him at some point when he got too far ahead, but he reappeared out of nowhere when some jerk jostled Hermione. Bucky gave the guy such a dressing down he disappeared with his tail between his legs before Steve could lean into him himself.

"May I?" Bucky asked, offering her his arm.

"Erm," Hermione glanced at him, and Steve rolled his eyes. Might as well let Bucky have his moment of saving the damselle. At least, she would be safer tucked in between them. "Sure."

They made it close to the scene in time to see the barely clad dames dancing in front of the car before Howard Stark himself arrived and kissed one of them full on the mouth, which earned him a few catcalls. Next, he revealed his flying car and Hermione's grip on him tightened. Blood was draining from her face, and added to her drawn back behaviour since meeting up, Steve was starting to worry.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"This never happened in my timeline," she whispered urgently. "It's a major deviation. The technology involved to accomplish such a thing this early in time. He must be a genius. From now on, I'm blind to the future. What I know of it might be completely wrong."

Steve nodded in understanding, including what she wasn't saying. That this was probably the reason why there was no magic in this world.

"What's going on?" Bucky asked after the car had crash landed on the scene.

"Nothing," Hermione said. "I'm just really excited by this flying car. I never imagined such a thing possible."

"In that case, wait till you see the sideshow. There's all his latest inventions exposed and-"

Steve stopped listening. Modern inventions and machines had always fascinated Bucky. He'd always loved disassembling things and putting them back together. He'd even repaired his father's watch once. Steve lagged behind while Bucky pulled Hermione by the hand, pointing at this and that. She actually seemed interested and was laughing along. Steve was struck by the image of them: his two sergeants in their uniforms, holding hands, and looking like they actually belonged together. He caught sight of a recruiting office and wandered over to it, like a moth to a flame. He wanted so bad to fit in and do his part. He was about to try his luck once more when Hermione and Bucky caught up to him.

"Don't tell me you're at it again?"

"At… what?" Hermione asked.

He hadn't tried since meeting her, but seeing them together tonight had rekindled his need to do more.

"This punk has tried enlisting at least half a dozen times." Hermione's eyes grew wide. She looked scared where Bucky only showed anger. "You've got Hermione now. Are you really just going to abandon her."

He had a point. Hermione was important and she did need him, out of time as she was. She literally had no one else. But Hermione paled further at those words.

"You can't, Steve," she pleaded. "Promise me you won't, even if I have to."

"What do you mean if you have to?"

"The meeting today. They need to fly me overseas as soon as possible. Some urgent business in Norway."

"What?" Bucky snapped while Steve was struck dumb. "Can't they find someone else? You're a-"

"I swear if you say woman, Barns, you can kiss your nuts goodbye. As it turns out, I'm the leading authority in this matter, so I don't have a choice."

"You're both leaving? Tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry, Steve. I wanted to tell you tonight when we got home."

It would hardly feel like home anymore without either of them there.

"And you, both of you, you just expect me to wait here, twiddling my thumbs?"

"There's plenty other jobs for the war effort right here," Bucky argued.

"I'm not sitting in a factory while there are men out there, and women, laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. Or you. This isn't about me, it's bigger, and you both know it, you're both a part of it."

Steve glared at them, daring them to say he was wrong. When they didn't, he turned on his heels and stormed to the bar of the enrollment office.

"Steve!"

He paused, but kept his back to them. She sounded so desperate that he might just give up 1 and promise her anything, but she was leaving too. He had nothing to hold him back anymore.

"Just give me some space. I'll see you back home later."

"But-"

"Let him blow off some steam, Hermione."

He didn't need to turn around to know Bucky would walk her home and that they would both be waiting there for him.

Steve thought Dr Erskine was pulling his leg at first, and he would be arrest anytime now. It wasn't until the doctor had stamped his file ACCEPTED that he knew this was the real deal. Steve was happy and excited and scared all at once.

Once home, he opened the door slowly, wincing when it squeaked anyway. His flat was so dark and quiet, he thought that maybe they had fallen asleep while waiting for him. An armful of curls corrected him of that notion when Hermione ran into his arms to hug him tightly.

"Oh thank, Merlin! I was so afraid you wouldn't come back, that I wouldn't see you before leaving."

Steve pushed her back to see her face. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she'd spent all this time crying. Glancing at Bucky who had been inordinately quiet, he found him lounging on the couch, his uniform spotting a wet, rumpled patch beneath his shoulder.

"You're a jerk," Bucky said and looked away. "I hope you got it out of your system this time."

"Sort of," Steve admitted as he closed the door shut behind him with his foot since Hermione was still clinging to him.

"What do you mean 'sort of'? Either you did or you didn't!"

Steve swallowed against the lump in his throat and licked his lips.

"I was accepted. I'm leaving tomorrow too, for New Jersey."

"No," Hermione said as she took a step back.

"You're kidding? Right?" Bucky asked.

Steve resented that tone.

"No. _Someone_ there obviously thinks I could be of use."

Silence stretched between them. This isn't how he wanted to spend the last night he had with his best friend and his sweetheart. It felt too much like his mother's wake. Sad, lonely and a bit awkward.

"So, all three of us leave tomorrow," Bucky finally said. "The brains, the brawn and the runt. Guess we might meet up over there one of these days and have a good laugh about tonight."

Steve smiled at him, glad he understood, then looked at Hermione.

"Someone once told me that if you can do some good, then you should," she finally said, making his smile grow wider.

"Sound like a wise person."

"I have it on good authority he's a runt," she deadpanned.

Steve chuckled. His heart felt about to burst with how much he loved these two, and simultaneously broke at the thought this might be the last they saw of each other.

"Come here," Steve said with open arms. "The both of you. I want a hug."

"Only because Hermione here doesn't make it awkward," Bucky muttered and he put his arms around both him and Hermione.

"You're the one making it weird, Bucky," Hermione mumbled, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Guys?" Steve looked back at Bucky. If he didn't know better, he'd say he looked embarrassed. "Are you two going to get busy tonight?"

"I… don't think so. We won't bother you, Buck, I promise."

Hermione's face was red and she buried herself deeper into the hug.

"It's not that," Bucky said. "I just don't want to be alone tonight. Can we share the bed like last night? I know I'm asking a lot but… I never wanted this, I never wanted to leave and…"

He trailed off. He looked scared and Steve only remembered seeing that look on him a couple of times since he'd known him. One of those was when he had been drafted.

"Yeah, Buck, sure. If Hermione doesn't mind."

"It's fine. He doesn't snore."

Bucky chuckled and squeezed them tighter for a second before letting go. He joined them in the bedroom when they were all in their nightclothes, Steve studying the bed with Hermione like it was a map and they were planning an invasion.

"You two know you're supposed to sleep _in_ the bed, right?" Bucky asked.

"He should go in the middle as punishment," Hermione decided.

"But that means I don't get to cuddle with you. I might even cuddle Bucky by mistake," Steve argued.

"Alright, so you take the middle again," Bucky said with a huff.

"I did my duty. I'll pass this round."

They both rounded on Hermione.

"What? No. No way."

"The majority has decided, doll."

"When did we become a democracy?"

"It's America. I know you Brits like your crowns, but we're all about fairness in the land of the free."

"Steve," she pleaded.

"Don't look at me, Hermione. I'm American too. And so are you, by the way."

"What?"

"You think they'd just let a Brit wear the U.S. army uniform?" Bucky snarked. "You've been Americanised, darling, retroactively too I bet."

"They can't just-"

"Did you read the small prints?"

Hermione bit her lip.

"They made me sign papers. All. Day. Long. They could have sneaked one in at the end and I wouldn't even have noticed," she admitted.

"There you go."

"I can't believe I'm _American_ ," Hermione muttered as she hiked up her era-appropriate nightgown and climbed into bed.

"That's what's troubles you?" Steve chuckled. "Aren't you taking a plane tomorrow."

"Oh God. I'd forgotten," she said, digging her nails in his arm as he settled next to her. "Why did you have to remind me?"

"I wanted to get your mind off you being American."

"You two were really made for each other," Bucky said from the other side of the bed. "You're so sickeningly sweet, I feel like I need to brush my teeth again."

"You're an idiot, Buck."

"Takes one to know one."

Hermione tittered softly next to him, already half asleep, but contrary to them, she'd had a very long day at work and then spent the rest of it crying, so he wasn't really surprised.

"Hey guys?" Bucky said, just above a whisper. "Thanks."

Steve woke up first. He was surprised he'd managed to sleep at all. Today was a day where all their lives were changing. Hermione was curled up against him. Her hair had come undone during the night again and was attempting to smother Bucky who was spooning her from behind. Yeah, sure, he didn't cuddle. He regretted not having the means to take a picture then and there. His two favourite people in the world, together right here and now with him, but about to be catapulted in different places in the world.

But times were what they were and they had to do what was necessary. With a sigh, he escaped Hermione's hands and began packing, not having prepared anything the night before. He'd just put water to boil when Bucky emerged.

"Sleep well?" Steve asked.

"Like the dead. I think your girl tried to strangle me with her crazy hair during the night."

Steve smirked.

"You were cute. I couldn't even see your face under all her curls."

Bucky sat and rubbed the last traces of sleep from his eyes.

"Funny how I always imagined you'd be overprotective when you got yourself a girl."

"What do you mean? I'm plenty protective."

"You let a handsome rugged man like me sleep in her bed, pal."

"Our bed. I was there, remember? And I trust you, Buck. I know you wouldn't do anything her."

"You keep telling yourself that, Stevey. I did plenty."

"Yeah, Sergeant Cuddles," Steve chuckled.

"But more seriously, you know Norway's been occupied by the Nazis for almost three years, right? I don't know what the hell she does, been pretty evasive about her work when I asked, but I doubt it involves paperwork. I think she might be a spy or a specialist, you know, like in those comics."

He mimed shooting and Steve paled. He had not known that specifically, no, too wrapped up in his own situation. And now, he couldn't very well ask her not to go behind enemy lines after the speech he had given them yesterday. He wasn't that hypocritical. He doubted she'd outed herself as a witch to the army either, so the specialist idea was out too.

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing," Steve replied, gritting his teeth. He knew it was no use asking Hermione. She took her confidentiality clause very seriously.

Speaking of the witch, she strode in, alert and wrapped in her uniform, so crisp she must have magicked it clean that morning, as well as her hair.

"Morning, Steve," she said, her kiss and hug lingering longer than usual. "Bedrooms free if you want to get dressed now, Buck. We really can't be late."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Bucky saluted and left. As soon as he was gone, Hermione kissed him again, more deeply.

"I'm going to miss this. I'm going to miss you," she said.

"I know. I feel the same. Promise you'll be careful out there?"

"Of course I will. You're the one I'm worried about. Don't do anything… rash, okay?"

"You say that like I do it everyday." He ignored her raised eyebrow. "Where are you leaving from?"

"La Guardia. Bucky is dropping me off, then heading to the docks."

"I'll come too. I leave around noon."

Bags under their arms, Steve looked at their home one last time, committing the details to memory. He dropped off their keys at Maggie's who cried as she hugged all three of them, mumbling what they supposed were encouragements. They made their way through the streets, taking this last opportunity to be together, talking about nothing and everything as if they weren't going to war. At the airport, Steve even had the crazy urge to throw her over his shoulder and run. But Hermione hugged Bucky tight, telling him to watch out for himself. He kissed the top of her head and told her to go kick nazi ass, which made her laugh. Steve was glad to see her happy this one last time before he held her in a tight embrace, only letting go to kiss her goodbye, knowing it might be forever. He wasn't an idiot. Remembering Bucky's advice, and because he was elbowing him rather viciously, Steve whispered the three words he had never said before in the hollow of her ear. She shivered and blushed and her own answer was three words long too. A soldier walked up to them, saluted then picked up her bag and that was it… she was gone.

He bit his lip, refusing to break down. If she had found him from another time, another place, a whole other dimension or universe, it's not a war that was going to come in between them. He took in a heavy breath, letting that sudden certainty sink in. They would come together again.

"You okay, bud?" Bucky asked, clasping a hand on his shoulder in support.

"Yeah. We'll be okay. All three of us."

Because Bucky had always been there for him, and he'd find a way to bend reality itself if he had to to make it happen.


	6. A New Man

After the fake grenade incident, Steve was chosen out of all the rest of the candidates. He knew it was Dr Erskine behind that decision, but Colonel Phillips couldn't argued against it anymore, and Agent Carter supported it too. He was one step closer to his goal.

Yet, when Dr Erskine visited him that night, Steve had to ask why him of all the candidates. He had been braver, and smarter, true enough, but they might well have chosen someone like Bucky in that case, or even Hermione or Agent Carter.

But it was his weakness that was his greatest ally in the end. Oh, the irony. So he promised Dr Erskine to remain a good man. It wasn't a difficult promise to make. Hermione wouldn't have him any other way and Bucky would slap some sense into him if he wasn't.

The next day, they brought him right back to Brooklyn. So close to his home, he started to babble so he wouldn't dwell on what he'd left behind.

"I grew up in this neighborhood. Know it like the back of my hand. I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that diner there."  
"Did you have something against running away?" Agent Carter asked, sounding more amused than repelled by his behaviour.  
"You start running they'll never let you stop. So you stand up, push back. Can't say no forever, right?"  
"I know a little of what that's like. To have every door shut in your face."

Steve nodded in understanding. He knew through Hermione just how infuriating it could be as a woman in what she called "this backwards era" on her worse days.

"It will get better, Agent Carter, in time, with the example you and all the women helping in the war effort are setting, it will never return to the way things were before."

He said it with the conviction of knowing what the future would hold, and Agent Carter stared at him as if he was a purple unicorn. He glanced out the window, only to see the parking lot where he had met Hermione as they rolled by.

"Let me guess: you got beat up in that parking lot too?"

Steve chuckled and looked away. It seemed like a lifetime ago when in reality it had only been three months.

"As a matter of fact, I did. Rescued a dame from this drunken brute one night, and she somehow became my sweetheart some time later."

Agent Carter frowned.

"I didn't know you were involved. Does she know what you're attempting? It's quite dangerous, as you know."

"Hermione actually left for the front the same day I joined the program. She's no doubt in much more danger than I am at the moment."

Agent Carter's eyebrows rose. She opened her mouth but, guessing what her next question was, Steve talked over her.

"Don't ask me more than that. She's very strict about confidentiality. I have no clue why she was whisked away so suddenly, or what she is even doing over there."

"Maybe I could find out if she's alright for you?" she offered.

Steve nodded eagerly.

"Please. If it doesn't get you in any trouble."

He gave Agent Carter, Peggy she insisted he call her, Hermione's name, rank as well as her destination. Soon, they arrived… at an antique store. The way to the lab was much more secret than anything he had ever expected, but he was glad to see Dr Erskine already there. Even if that was tempered by Colonel Phillips' gruff acknowledgement and Mr Stark's presence. Bucky could gush over the man all he wanted, and Hermione might have dubbed him a genius, but Steve had seen his "flying" car crash and burn, so he wasn't all that reassured by his presence. "Mad scientist" came to mind as he buzzed around the room like a bee on a sugar-high. However, Steve had made it this far, he wasn't about to give up now.

It didn't seem too bad at first, even if the small enclosed space of the capsule made it hard to breathe. It was like being in a coffin. Then Stark flipped a switch and Steve had to grit his teeth, but the pain just grew and grew, even when he thought it couldn't possibly get any worse. His bones felt like they were breaking, his muscles tearing, all of them, all at once. It was unbearable. He couldn't keep the pain in anymore, so he screamed to release it, but it didn't help and the scream grew and grew as much as the pain, tearing his throat apart. The image of him waking between Hermione and Bucky flashed before his mind's eye, a small comfort he latched onto, just long enough to hear people screaming for Stark to stop the experiment.

"No!" Steve hoped they would hear him. He wasn't sure if his voice even worked any more. "Don't stop! I can do this!"

He couldn't give up now. He owed it to his friends. He had to do this for them, for himself, for Dr Erskine and everyone else. If this procedure failed because of him, they might abandon the project, and he'd never forgive himself. Clenching his fists, Steve bit down on another scream, but it still crawled out of him nonetheless. And then the pain stopped, very suddenly, without warning. Steve fell against the door. The capsule, if possible, felt even smaller, pressing all around him, but it opened and he fell forward. Hands grabbed for him, unbelievably small hands, and called his name. Everyone was so small.

 _Upsidedown-land._

Steve chuckled. The experiment had worked then.

"I did it."

Peggy was there too. Tiny Peggy.

"How do you feel?" she asked, looking up at him for the first time.

"Taller," was all that crossed his mind at that moment, but he felt stronger too, healthy, like he could do anything. For the first time in his life, he had no limits. He could run a marathon, laugh his heart out or-

An explosion in the observation booth up above drew their attention and Dr Erskine shouted for someone to be stopped. Steve was still a bit confused from his trip in the coffin, but the gunshot was like being doused in ice cold water. His eyes were still on Dr Erskine when he fell. Steve rushed to his side, but it was bad. Erskine only had the strength to point at his heart, reminding him of his promise to stay a good man.

"I will," Steve promised again, but the doctor was already gone.

Righteous fury flooded him, the ice turning to fire. He had to stop the culprit. His body was running before the thought had even fully formed in his mind and he had a hard time making his muscles work the way he wanted, so he crashed into walls, cars and even through a window shop as he tried to turn or slow down. He got out of the whole pursuit without a scratch, without even being winded, and he easily caught up with Erskine's murderer.

"Don't!" Steve cried out, but the brute threw the little boy in the water below anyway.

Steve didn't hesitate for a second between rescuing the kid and going after the Nazi spy. But, as it turned out, the boy knew how to swim and told him to "go get'im!", so he did. Steve caught up to the spy just as he was fleeing aboard what looked like a mini-submarine and he had to use all his newfound strength to tear the metal apart and drag his prisoner back to land. He still had some fight left in him though, and the vial he had stolen, the last of Doctor Erskine's life work, broke, the super-serum vanishing into the concrete. Then the spy swallowed a capsule of poison and died within seconds. It was all over. He had failed.

Steve waited on the scene for reinforcements to show up. It wouldn't be hard to follow the trail of destruction along the way, as well as the curious onlookers gathered around.

It wasn't until a reporter snapped his picture, badgering him with questions, that Steve realized none of this had ever happened in Hermione's world. If she had been shocked by Stark's flying car, she would at least have seen a passing mention of a supersoldier barreling through Brooklyn to stop a Nazi spy. He wondered what had happened to that world's Steve Rogers. Had he worked in a factory? Waited out the end of the war from the comfort of home? All alone, without Hermione or Bucky.

Finally, the military whisked him away in the back of a Jeep and they returned to the SSR compound where he was poked at and measured and drained of blood samples for days on end.

Peggy made an appearance, looking happier than the last few days where they were all adjusting to having lost Dr Erskine, and during which she was also mad at him for having made her miss her shot, but he maintained it wasn't worth getting ran over for.

"I got some good news," she said with a mischievous air about her.

"I was starting to think those had gone out of fashion. Are you going to give it to me, or make me guess? Because it could take a while."

She smiled and shook her head.

"It's not much mind, but I managed to get some news concerning your sweetheart."

"Hermione? How is she?"

"I only know she made it safely to Norway and left for an expedition inland with a troop of about twenty men."

Steve was torn between relief and worry. What the heck was she up to? Only twenty men to foray into occupied territory. Maybe Bucky was right about the whole spy thing.

"You really have no idea what she does, do you?"

Steve shook his head, trying to dispel the frown that was broadcasting how anxious he was.

"Not a clue."

Peggy glanced around them, making sure no one was eavesdropping.

"She's part of a secret program much like ours. It's another subdivision of the S.S.R. actually, although I couldn't learn much more than that, you were right about them being strict about confidentiality. However, I did hear that on past operations, they snatched a couple of important artefacts before Hydra could get to them."

"You think that's what she's doing in Norway?"

Peggy nodded and Steve paled. Did she even know how dangerous Hydra was? Or had they just sent her there to read some runes with only twenty soldiers to protect her, hoping for the best?

 _She has her magic_.

He had to keep that in mind. She had been through war before, had battled and won. He had to trust she would manage to get herself through this one too. Peggy promised to check on her status regularly and keep him updated, but as it turned out, their paths parted soon after. Peggy was leaving with Colonel Phillips and Stark for the European front, while he was being used as a dancing monkey.

The cowl of his costume was an unexpected blessing since it afforded him some measure of anonymity. Captain America… what a joke. If his sergeants could see him now in his flashy tights, they'd be laughing their heads off. He was raking in money for the war effort, and sure, that was good, or rather, necessary, but it wasn't what Dr Erskine had wanted, nor him.

So when he got the news he was being shipped off to Europe, he had been over the moon, even if he was only going there to punch fake-Hitler in the face for what felt like the thousandth time. But his crowd was… different. Exhausted soldiers, wounded for some, caked in mud and just plain miserable. Rude too, but he couldn't hold it against them. He wouldn't want to see his stupid show either in their place, so he sent the girls back out and sat backstage to doodle in his sketchbook, wondering what the hell he was doing here.

"Steve?'

He jerked around at the familiar voice, snapping his pencil clear in two.

"Peggy! I didn't know you were around here or I would've gone to see you."

"Officially, I'm not here," she said with a brittle smile. "I, uh, have news for you. Had for a while but there was no way to pass it on to you safely."

Steve drew a blank at first. He wasn't a part of their program anymore so he didn't know what sort of news she could give him except…

"Hermione?"

He could barely whisper the name. He hadn't heard from her in all this time and tried not to think about it lest he drive himself mad with worry. And unlike the last time, Peggy had says news. Not good news.

"No."

His heart ached like it hadn't since the serum, the world around him seemed to dim, he couldn't even hear the girls' singing anymore or the soldiers jeers, he couldn't feel the biting cold in the air. Peggy bit her bottom lip and put her arms around him.

"I'm sorry," she said. "MIA with her troop since she left off for her mission. Norway's resistance sent back a couple of dogtags from two of our boys who were accompanying her, but there has been no news since."

He shrugged Peggy off, her concern made it worse, more real and he couldn't accept that. Looking out in the distance at the skeleton of the trees surrounding the camp, Steve tried to make sense of it all. MIA. Not dead. She could still be out there somewhere. She could still come back to him. He had to have faith in her the way she always had faith in him.

"She's not dead."

"Steve…" Peggy trailed off and sat next to him in silent support.

Like a wake. He tried to shrug off the feeling when the honk of an ambulance dragged him back to the present: the rain, the frozen mud, the despair on some faces, pain or bandages on others, but also a will to keep going, determination etched deep into the lines of their faces.

"There's still hope," he said. "There's always hope, or we wouldn't keep on fighting despite everything we've already lost and suffered through. Look at those guys. They look like they've been through hell and back," he said pointing at the crowd cheering the USO girls on. "But they still have hope."

"These men suffered more than most," Peggy said as she scanned the faces in the crowd. She sighed. "Two hundred of them went up against Schmidt in Azzano and less than fifty returned. These soldiers are all that's left of the one-oh-seventh. The rest were killed or captured."  
At the news, the heart Steve had tried to put back together with blind hope and faith began to crack. Not Bucky too… No. He held a hand over his heart. It was pounding too hard and shattered, the pieces slipping through his numb fingers onto the cold, dirty ground, and he had to struggle to keep the world from dimming again.

"The one-oh-seventh? You sure?"

At Peggy's nod, Steve looked at the faces in the crowd but couldn't find Bucky's. He ran to the Colonel's tent, not waiting to see if Peggy had followed. Of course the gruff man had to be a smart mouth and mock him, but Steve didn't care. In the end, in between insults, he got what he wanted: information. Bucky was missing in action too, not dead, but this time, Steve knew exactly where to find him. As soon as he was dismissed from the Colonel's ire, he ran to his tent and changed into normal gear, borrowed a shield and helmet and was almost out of camp when Peggy caught up to him.

"What are you doing? Do you plan to walk all the way there?"

"If I have to. I can't leave him behind. I can't lose the both of them."

She had a pained expression.

"You heard the Colonel," Steve insisted. "He can't do anything, I get it. But I can. You _know_ I'm meant for more than that," he added and waved towards the scene. "Dr Erskine had faith in me, won't you have faith in me too?"

She nodded, but far from letting him sneak out, she dragged him back to Stark's plane, who, and it turned out, was as mad a pilot as he was a scientist.

After they took off, Steve watched the two of them dance around each other as they planned to "fondue" after dropping him off, whatever that meant. He wished them luck. It would be nice to see some love bloom in the middle of the war.

Stark laughed maniacally as he avoided one shell after another aimed at them. Peggy had not been exaggerating when she'd told him he was their best pilot despite being a civilian. The plane swerved to the side again and shuddered when another explosion lit up the sky. This was becoming too dangerous. Steve yanked the door open.

"Wait! I can take you all the way in!" Stark shouted back at him, sounding far too jovial, as if they were taking a leisurely stroll through the park.

"Too risky! As soon as I'm free, you turn around and get the hell outta here!"

"You can't give me orders!" Peggy tried to argue, stalling for time, more like.

"Sure I can, I'm a Captain!"

Like he'd told Hermione when she'd been made Sergeant, he might as well own his Captain rank since they'd so kindly stuck it on him. Steve waved the transponder at them in good bye, and jumped. He had a moment of weightlessness that made his stomach belly flop, then another of awe at the lethal light show blooming all around him in the night sky. He followed the plane's retreat for as long as he could, wishing them safe return, but then had his own mission to deal with: saving Bucky.

Steve ran through the dark woods, still marvelling at the way his body moved with such ease, without tiring, almost instinctually. The woods thinned, revealing a road that had to lead straight to the Hydra compound. He jogged along it for a few minutes when he heard the roar if a motor behind him. Hiding in the ditch, Steve waited for it to pass before jumping back on the road and swinging himself into the back of the truck. Half a dozen soldiers stared at him, too shocked to even point their weapons his way. He socked the first right in the face, kicked the second in the chest, used the third to throw on the last three and knocked them all unconscious while they tried to untangle themselves. Looking down at his handiwork, he made a mental note not to hit the face so hard. That was messy, and frankly, quite gross. He threw them out onto the road one after another, then sat back, waiting for the next stop.

The Hydra base was gigantic, much bigger than anything he'd expected, and looked to be a modern factory churning out bizarre looking weapons. Steve snuck in, but with no idea of where Bucky could be held, he followed the sound of voices, rare and indistinct at first, but he soon heard English and hurried along, heart beating. There were cages upon cages filled with men like dogs in a kennel. It was horrifying. As he counted the guards and observed their rounds, he noted they were being treated worse than cattle for the slaughter too.

Without hesitation, Steve pounced on the next guard to pass below him, literally flattening him to the ground under the weight of his anger. He ripped the keys dangling at his side and opened the closest cage.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

Steve was used to the mockery by now.

"Captain America. I'm looking for Sergeant James Barns of the one-oh-seventh, anyone seen him?"

The question was passed along until a tall guy in a dapper bowler hat pushed forward.

"Isn't he the guy they took away after he tried defending that chick?"

The Asian guy behind him nodded.

"There's an isolation ward somewhere that way. He might be there but those that are taken to that place never come back."

Steve's jaw clenched and he nodded, giving them direction towards the exit and asking for a little distraction on their way out. They seemed more than happy to oblige, not that he blamed them.

Soon enough, he heard shouts and explosions behind him as he ran in the direction he'd been pointed to, then an alarm blared just as he arrived to a section of the facility that looked more like a lab compound than a factory. He began kicking doors in, his heart sinking with every new room he found empty, until suddenly he found him. Steve blinked incredulously for a second, then rushed to his side.

Bucky looked sick and he was mumbling his rank, name and service number over and over. Steve tore off his bindings and whatever device they'd strapped to his head.

"Bucky," he urged, slapping him carefully to get him out of his daze. "Buck, come on, buddy."

"Steve?"

"Yeah, it's me, Buck. Come on. We gotta get out of here."

Steve pulled Bucky off the chair and put his arm over his shoulder to help him along. He seemed a lot weaker than the other prisoners he had freed.

"Did I shrink?"

"No, Buck. Come on."

They'd only made it to the end of the corridor and Bucky still seemed delirious. Steve dreaded to think what they'd done to him.

"What happened to you?" Bucky asked a few minutes later.

"I volunteered, remember?"

"Yeah… Dumbass," he sounded more like himself in that instant, but then stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait! Hermione! Steve, Hermione is here. I saw her."

His heart skipped a beat. He didn't dare hope, maybe Bucky was still delirious.

"Are you sure?"

Bucky nodded and Steve recalled the other soldiers saying Buck had tried defending a woman. It made sense. Steve bit his lip, gathering his thoughts. He couldn't leave Bucky behind to search for Hermione. He couldn't possibly choose one over the other.

"Do you know where?"

"Not here, I don't think… I haven't heard her or anyone around here for a while."

Steve nodded. If they knew what she could do, they would keep a close eye on her. Explosions started shaking the building however and he was pretty sure the prisoners were long gone. All he and Buck could do was run, and keep their eyes peeled as they searched for Hermione or an exit, preferably both, which is how they ran straight into Schmidt and a pudgy little guy, as well as an unconscious body slumped over Schmidt's shoulder with curls he would recognize anywhere. Bucky had too judging by how his breath caught.

"Let her go," Steve snarled.

"I think not, Captain," Schmidt said as he dropped his girl onto the dumpy man at his side. "I have plans for her."


	7. Big Change

**A/N: Thank you all again for the feedback! Sorry to those whose review I didn't reply to, just know I loved every word.**

Schmidt claimed to be Erskine's greatest achievement, even after showing off his deformity: his red, fleshless skull was a sight for nightmares. They were, however, evenly matched in strength and speed. They threw punches at each other in the narrow space, all but destroying the metal walkway with each blow, until Schmidt took the coward's way out and fled when the walkway retreated, leaving him on the other side with Bucky.

"Go get her!" Bucky snapped when he glanced back at him, reluctant to leave him alone.

Steve nodded, then ran and lunged for the other side, catching up with them just when the pudgy man was about to lower Hermione into a small plane on Schmidt's lap. Steve grabbed the small man's collar and pulled him back with such force, he flew through the air, but Hermione tumbled away from the plane too. Safe. Another louder explosion made the tower they were in shake on its foundations and Schmidt's plane suddenly took off, a coward through and through.

Steve hurried over to Hermione, ignoring the small man who scrambled to his feet and ran off with his tail between his legs. He only had time to check she was still breathing before he ran back to Bucky who cheered at the sight of Hermione in his arms. Steve actioned the lever to the bridgeway, but it got stuck halfway due to the damage. He crossed it as far as he dared but there was still a large gap to the other side.

"I'm going to throw her to you. Ready?"

"No!" Bucky shouted. "Are you out of your fuckin' mind?"

They didn't have time for this. Bucky would serve as a cushion if nothing else. He lobbed her over and she seemed to hover gracefully in the air for an instant, her curls golden as they fanned out around her and reflected the flames from below. Bucky had his arms up, his mouth a perfect O of dismay, but he caught her and fell back, curled protectively around her.

 _We protect one another_.

If she only knew how right she was. Steve leaped over the gap, then hefted Hermione up in one arm while giving Bucky a hand up. He had them. Both of them.

"Let's go meet up with the others," he said.

Steve hoped they had waited for him. They were still about thirty miles behind enemy lines and it would be an easier trek back if they had a whole platoon with them.

"So… Bucky said when they had found their way out of the Hydra factory and en route to the meeting point. "Are we gonna talk about how you turned into a giant or are we just gonna ignore that little detail?"

"If I ask you to ignore it, will you?"

"Fucking hell, no, Stevey. What the fuck happened to you?"

"Science experiment. Turned out okay."

Bucky snorted.

"Is it permanent?"

"As far as I know."

"Hermione doesn't know?"

Steve looked down at his girl in his arms. She looked so tiny, it was ridiculous. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact he had been about her size and even lighter weight than she was. She seemed so fragile and he worried yet again about what she had gone through. He shook his head at Bucky's question.

"Ha! Please let me be there when you tell her."

Ten minutes down the road, they found the other men, weighed down with Hydra's strange weapons. They had even hijacked a couple of tanks. Phillips and Stark were going to be over the moon with all those new toys. Steve took out the transponder, but it had been smashed at some point. He couldn't quite figure out when, but he'd bet it was when he had sparred with Schmidt because the indent left in the metal box looked suspiciously like a fist. He put it back in his pocket in case Stark wanted it back, even in its sorry state, and waved at the guys waiting for them. They would just have to get back on foot.

Applause and cheers greeted them, and Steve ducked his head at all the attention. He should be used to it with his shows as Captain America, but those never felt this sincere and heart-warming. They were polite applause for a dancing monkey pulling off a clever trick. This was acknowledgement. He was one of theirs, a brother in arms. He received grins, pats on his back and words of gratitude, more than he thought he deserved since they had fought their own way out. He'd just given them a key.

"Want me to help you with that?" the large man with the bowler hat asked, nodding down at Hermione.

Steve tightened his grip on her, reluctant to be parted, but they were in enemy territory and she would be far safer on one of the tanks.

"Help me get her up there?" he asked, jutting his chin at the first tank.

A head popped out from the top.

"Par ici," the man it belonged to said.

French. Damnit. Steve's French was spotty at best, but he understood his intent well enough with his hand gestures and they managed to settle Hermione in a nest of blankets up top with a couple of other wounded soldiers. The Frenchman mimed he would keep an eye on her.

Steve took the lead at the front of the column with Bucky. He'd rather Buck rested too after what he had gone through, but he was adamant to stay at his side, needling him for details of what he'd done since they had parted ways in New York, and predictably laughing at him for being the dancing Captain America he'd seen on posters around camp before he left for the raid on Azzano. Captain Tightpants was apparently what the boys called him. Great. He was never wearing them again.

They encountered little resistance on the way back, and none of them Hydra. "Regular" Nazis, in other words. A lot easier to deal with, especially when they didn't expect to be attacked by a large ally force coming from their rear. They had opened up wide this whole territory and only had ten more miles to go. The Colonel would probably move camp soon after they returned, especially since they had destroyed the nearby Hydra base.

"Capitaine!"

Steve looked up at the tank. The Frenchman, Dernier, was waving frantically at him and the tank stopped. Alarmed, Steve jumped up.

"Quelque chose ne va pas," Dernier babbled, pointing at Hermione.

Steve approached and could feel what he meant. There was a pressure building around her, invisible but strong and increasing, like a miniature storm. He'd never seen her do that before, unconscious or not, but he suspected it to be her magic, because what else could it be?

"Get everyone down!" he ordered and the men scampered off the tank, helping those who were injured.

"Hermione!" he called. "Hermione, you're safe now. Wake up please, love."

She didn't and the pressure grew to the point she was starting to levitate and his hand couldn't even touch her, as if she had an invisible shield around her. A trickle of fear ran down his spine.

"Steve!" Bucky called from the side of the tank.

He was going to yell at Buck to stay back when Steve was suddenly flung off the tank with such force, he flew across the road and into a tree which cracked under the strain. He bounced right back on his feet though, and ran towards the tank again.

"What the hell is going on?" Bucky asked. "Is Hermione alright?"

"That was Hermione."

Steve glanced at the other men, but they were waiting further away in a large circle.

"Hermione threw you off the tank? Is it because of your face?"

"What's wrong with my face?" Steve asked as he peeked over the edge of the tank.

His face was the part of him that had undergone the least change, even if he had to admit it had filled out and taken on a healthy tint that had never been there before.

"You have a stupid face and you know it," Bucky said, peeking over the edge next to him. "All clear?"

"Looks like it."

Steve heaved himself to the top and gave Bucky a hand up. Hermione sat there in a tangle of blankets, blinking up at them as if she'd just woken up from a nap.

"Bucky?"

"Hi, babe," Bucky said with a grin.

Her eyes slid over to him, then to Bucky, and back at him again. Her eyes widened.

"Steve?"

Steve smiled, relieved she had recognised him. For a moment there, he feared she wouldn't.

"What the bloody hell happened to you? You look… you're…" she waved her hands in the air.

"Oh yeah, I'm glad I stayed for this," Bucky chortled next to him.

"Gigantic!" she finished.

Deciding there was no more danger of her exploding, they kneeled at her side. Steve couldn't stop grinning. Hermione couldn't stop staring.

"This is too weird, even for me," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Look at the bright side, doll. No more asthma attack."

"Bucky!" she admonished, her cheeks turning a bright red as she looked away. "Where are we?"

Steve hesitated. They couldn't stop their march forward for too long, so he glanced at Bucky who nodded.

"I'll tell the guys to get moving. We'll leave you this tank for a bit of privacy."

Bucky waggled his eyebrows and jumped off the side. Soon, they were moving again and Steve caught her up to speed. They touched each other tentatively, but their hands did not fit like they once had. If it was strange for him, it had to be even worse for her. He hadn't thought this through, what his transformation might change between them. He was about to ask her about how she had ended up in Hydra's compound when a few shots rang out.

"Stay here," he told her.

"Like hell I will." She patted her vest down and cursed. "Give me a gun."

Steve gave her a sheepish look she knew only too well.

"You attacked a Hydra base without a gun?"

"Didn't need one."

He wasn't about to admit to her he hadn't even thought of bringing one along, and he jumped down before she could scold him further.

"Stay there!" he repeated and ran towards the ambush on the road ahead.

Their tanks were out of ammo, unfortunately, so they had to do with what little ammunition they had left. Bucky was an amazing sniper and was taking them out patiently, one after another. It would have been easy if they hadn't been attacked on their flank too. A couple of men went down before they realized what was happening, then Dum Dum struck them down with the butt if his empty rifle. Steve was coming to his help when he saw another nazi aiming his gun right in Dum Dum's face… and then suddenly shooting up into the sky like a rocket, with a high-pitched scream and flailing limbs. Everyone froze, not comprehending what had happened, and after a few seconds, the nazy fell back down with a terrified cry, face first into the dirt. Then several more nazis attacking their flank also flew up into the air before being released and falling to their probable death or mortal wounds.

Steve knew. He glanced around to find Hermione still atop the tank with her arms raised up in the air. Dum Dum followed his gaze and tipped his bowler hat off at her, which made her giggle.

Bucky's shots up ahead had come to a stop and he raised an all clear signal. It took them a while to gather weapons off the dead nazis before the convoy continued onwards, the men chatting excitedly about what had happened.

"They think the army is breeding all sorts of super human weapons," Bucky told him.

Steve grimaced. He didn't like being called a weapon, although he could understand what they meant. At least they weren't afraid of Hermione.

"Is she still angry?"Steve asked, knowing Bucky had been catching up with her too.

"That you chose to be a lab rat, didn't bring a gun to attack a Hydra base on your lonesome, or left her on a tank during a battle like a princess in her tower?"

"It was for her own safety," he muttered mullishly, having already had this discussion with her.

"She'll come around," Bucky said with certainty, clapping hvmim on the shoulder.

"Come around to what?" Hermione chirped from behind them.

"How did you get down?" Steve asked, but glimpsed Jones and Dernier slink off out of view, giving him a pretty good idea.

"I'm a sergeant. I pulled rank. You're the one who told me to own it. Although I guess that does mean you get to give me orders now, _Captain_."

Bucky snickered and Steve blushed, making Hermione roll her eyes.

"Get your minds out if the gutter, boys. Is this it?"

She pointed ahead at the thinning trees and the guard towers barely visible from there. Steve relaxed. He'd been afraid of another ambush after the last. They could count on their fingers the amount of ammo they had left.

The camp started to come alive at their approach, everyone gathering around to greet them. The rest of the one-oh-seventh mingling with their friends and welcoming them back as heroes. It was beautiful.

But… he guessed he'd better report to Colonel Philips for disciplinary sanctions.

"Why?" Bucky and Hermione asked in unison.

"You didn't think my one-man mission was sanctioned, did you? I'd better go report to him before he finds me. Might soften the blow."

Steve looked down at Hermione. She huffed and pulled down on the front of his coat until they were at eye level and kissed him. A few men catcalled and laughed, but it was with a much lighter heart that he walked to the command tent. He caught Colonel Phillips just as he was exiting with Peggy on his heels.

"I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action, sir," he said in all seriousness.

Phillips looked as annoyed and gruff as ever, so Steve didn't know what to expect.  
"That won't be necessary. Go get some rest and report back later."

Steve grinned and Peggy gave him a thumbs up while the Colonel had his back turned. Phillips muttered something at her before leaving with purpose towards the new arrivals, leaving them alone.

"You're late," she said, raising a brow.

Steve pulled out the broken transponder from his pocket.

"It doesn't work. Not sure why."

Peggy looked at it and chuckled.

"I'll get it back to Howard. Maybe he can find a way to make them more resistant against… did you use it to break a rock or something?"

Steve shrugged.

"So… did you find him? Your friend?" she asked carefully.

"Yeah, I found him." He grinned even wider. "I found Hermione, too."

"What? How? I thought she was in Norway?"

"I don't have the full story yet. Schmidt wanted her for something. But come and meet her. I'm sure she's getting sick and tired of all the male company."

"I can understand that," she agreed and followed him back to the gathered crowd.

They found her sitting at a table, looking tiny between Bucky and Dum Dum who both kept pushing food and drink her way. She laughed at something Morita said, then noticed him arriving, and her whole face lit up. She wiggled out of her seat to join him

"Hermione, I'd like you to meet Agent Peggy Carter. Peggy, this is Hermione."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Peggy said as they shook hands. "I'm so glad Steve found you. He was worried sick."

"Likewise. Steve can't shake off the habit of saving me, it seems."

Peggy's eyebrows shot up.

"You're British?"

"Erm, sort of. I think the U.S Army made me American when I wasn't paying attention."

"Bloody Yankees. They would too, stealing all the brains they can."

Hermione laughed.

"Oh! I don't suppose you have some real tea around? I haven't had any in forever."

"I have a secret stash in my tent. Care to join me?"

Steve watched them go arm in arm, wondering if it had been a good idea to introduce them to one another.

"Got your girl stolen away already?" Dum Dum teased.

"Peggy has tea. I can't compete against that."

"Is tea like catnip for ladies?" Jones asked.

"British women, maybe," Steve conceded.

The conversation rapidly devolved to what treat women from other countries prefered while they ate whatever grub the cooks had managed to put together for over two hundred starving last minute guests. That done, he excused himself to get his report to Phillips over and done with, because super-serum aside, he couldn't wait to go crash in his bunk.

The Colonel looked over the map where Steve had placed all the Hydra bases he had glimpsed in an empty room while searching for Bucky. He was glad for the photographic memory as it was serving him real well.

"And Bucky- I mean Sergeant Barnes told me all the weapons had been shipped off to another base that's not on this map."

"Their main base of operation, then? Carter, get in contact with MI6. I want every eye in Europe looking for this place. Any large troop movements, shipments, convoys..."

"Yes, sir."

"And you, Rogers. This is your map, how do you feel about wiping it clean of the Hydra stains?"

"I know a few guys up for cleaning duty, sir. And a gal."

Steve couldn't leave Hermione behind if she was at risk of being sent on another suicide mission, he'd rather she joined _his_ suicide mission. At least he'd be there to protect her. The Colonel had Peggy as a second, so he wouldn't refuse just because she was a woman, but she was still an unknown to the suspicious man. Phillips stared at him with a grimace.

"I heard rumours about her. Are they true?"

"That would depend on the rumours, sir." Steve replied cautiously.

"Did she really toss nazis in the air with her will alone?"

With her will? Well… He had to admit it sounded a lot more believable than magic. Steve nodded.

"Yes. She has certain… talents."

"You knew."

"I've known her for a while."

"So those rumours are true as well. Listen…"

Ah, here it came. The speech about why you can't bring a dame to war.

"You're an icon. It would be best if you kept your dalliances under wraps. Don't want bad press for Captain America, right?"

Steve frowned. Not what he had been expecting, but okay. And how was it bad press that he loved his girl? Because they weren't married?

"They're selling your image, boy. The righteous and perfect soldier, a role model for men, eye candy for women. You bringing your girlfriend to war is not a selling point. On the other hand… Yeah. Using _her_ as role a model for women and eye candy for men… Well, let's just say you'll have more or less free rein if you keep your nose clean. Your unit will be untouchable from the politics back home."

"So… We can't be _seen_ together?"

Phillips smiled like a shark and nodded. Message received. They would just have to use discretion, which, honestly, wouldn't be that hard with the war raging around them. Knowing Hermione, she would agree. Before, when he had been sickly, their displays of affection had always been in private and not evolved much past hand holding and light kisses. Cuddling at most. His asthma had put a stop at any attempt to… sex. He felt his cheeks burn and excused himself.

Hermione and Bucky accosted him right outside the tent.

"Were you eavesdropping?" he hissed, walking briskly ahead.

"Of course," they replied in unison, for the second time that day.

"Stop doing that. It's creeping me out."

Bucky chuckled, but Hermione hurried ahead to stand in his way, forcing him to a stop.

"Are you dumping me?"

"No, of course not."

"That's not what we heard, buddy."

"We can't be _seen_ together, there's a very important nuance there."

"So you're just hiding me?"

"In a way, I guess. I know it's not ideal, but if you want to join the team, it's the best deal we get."

She sighed, but nodded, and they continued walking.

"I'd rather we stay together," she agreed. "All three of us. That way, I can keep you two out of trouble."

"You've literally been in more trouble than either of us, Hermione," Steve said.

Hermione made a surprised noise in the back of her throat.

"Huh… that's actually true."

"Not to mention Schmidt will try to nab you again the first chance he gets, and he he has people everywhere. One of his Hydra agent was at my procedure-"

"Aww. Is that what we're calling it. I wanted to call it your growth spurt."

Steve rolled his eyes at Bucky, but Hermione laughed.

"And it sounds like you're using Hermione as bait," Bucky added.

"I don't mind," Hermione cut in before Steve could deny it. "Schmidt took something of mine and I need to get it back."

Steve narrowed his eyes at her.

"What? You haven't been very forthcoming about what happened to you."

"We didn't really get time to chat, and it's not something I want everyone to hear. I'll sneak into your tent tonight, alright? I'm supposed to share Peggy's, but she won't rat me out."

"And you'll tell me everything?"

"Everything I remember," she muttered, bringing down a heavy silence over them.

"Can I come too?" Bucky asked.

"It's your call, Hermione. It's your secret," Steve said and glanced at Bucky, hoping he'd understand why he hadn't told him before.

"Sure. it's more or less out in the open now, anyway."

"Well, not as such, no. Seems everyone thinks you use your will to send things flying up in the air."

"Oh. I suppose that makes more sense in this world. Everyone I met is much more logic driven."

"Wait, wait, wait…" Bucky said with a frown, grabbing Hermione's arm to make her stop walking and face him. "What do you mean by that?"

Hermione glanced around for eavesdroppers, then leaned into him to whisper in his ear.

"It's magic."

Bucky glanced at him so he nodded to confirm.

"And the other part, about this world being more logic?" Bucky asked, but he had lowered his voice this time. "What do you mean by _this_ world?"

"I'm from… elsewhere. Same Earth, but different, like the reflection in the mirror."

Bucky opened his mouth a couple of times before giving up and scowling. He let go of her arm, but stared her straight in the eye.

"I want that full story tonight, too."

"Gonna be a long night then," Steve announced.

"Why? What're we doing?"

"Recruiting the rest of the guys."


	8. Nightmares

Dum Dum, Morita, Falsworth, Dernier and Jones. They had all accepted his offer to team up to go against Hydra, and all it had cost them was an open tab at the local bar, and a dance with Hermione, which she happily agreed to, saying she hadn't gone dancing since she was seventeen.

By the time they made it back to camp, they were all too exhausted for any kind of talk and they crashed in their respective tents, except for Bucky who left the one-oh-seventh cramped lodgings for Steve's roomier tent. He was glad too, because Bucky woke him up with a wail that soon turned into a scream. Steve scrambled out of bed and reached for Bucky, trying to rouse him from his nightmare.

"Steve?"

Bucky's voice sounded so small, so unlike him.

"Shhhh. Yes. It's alright. Try to go back to sleep now, Buck. I'll watch over you. You have nothing to fear."

Bucky mumbled and turned over on his side to grasp his arm then seemed to calm down, but as Steve leaned closer to check his temperature, he heard his friend still mumbling under his breath.

"Sergeant James Barnes, 32557038…"

Steve ran a finger over his cheekbone where a bruise had dug deep just below. He had no idea what Hydra had been doing to him but it had obviously left deeper marks than what he could see on the surface. When Bucky relaxed his grip on him, Steve pulled his cot next to Bucky's and spent the rest if the night close by so he would know immediately if something was wrong. By the time he woke up again though, Bucky was already gone.

When he went out to find him and check he was alright, Peggy accosted him with the news Hermione had had nightmares too.

"Hydra did something to them. When I found him, Bucky was strapped into a chair with a… thing… a machine on his head. I still don't know what they did to Hermione. She's been reluctant to confide in me. She's been… more distant than she used to be back home."

Peggy looked him over.

"You're sure that doesn't have to do with how much you changed? If she's always known you the way you were before, you've got to give her a little time to adjust. In the meanwhile, we'll just have to keep an eye on them, see if the nightmares are a regular occurrence or just them processing their narrow escape. A lot of people have nightmares around camp, so don't worry yourself too much over it, okay?"

She didn't seem all that convinced by her own advice but there was little more they could do for now. During the day, he had the impression hus sergeants were both avoiding him, and it hurt in a way physical blows didn't.

At night, Bucky didn't move his cot away though, so neither did he. They didn't comment on the new sleeping arrangement, just took off their boots and jackets and lay down.

"You okay, Buck?"

Bucky mumbled a vague assent.

"Only you've been quiet today, so I was worried."

He chuckled humorlessly.

"That's just it, you see? That's how it's going to be now. I used to be the one looking out for you, Steve, and now…"

"So it's my turn. Only seems fair after all those years of you keeping me out of trouble, making sure I didn't need for anything."

Bucky was too quiet. Maybe Hermione wasn't the only one who needed time adjusting to the new him. It seemed unfair, because he was still exactly the same person inside. Somehow, whether too weak or too strong, he was still not being treated just for who he was. Did it really bother Bucky so much that he was his equal now?

"I don't think any less of you, Buck," he added, wondering if that was what was bothering him the most.

He couldn't figure this out if no one talked to him. He didn't want the three of them to become strangers. They'd gotten to be so close in New York in such a short time, and now… well, he supposed war did change people. Himself more than most, apparently.

Bucky didn't say anymore, but he wasn't sleeping either, then he almost bolted off his cot when the tent flap opened.

"It's me," came Hermione's whisper. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Steve said, reaching a hand out. "Come here."

She struggled with her boots, cursing laces and mud and numb fingers until she managed to kick them off. She draped her coat over a pole and crawled between them, but Steve occupied all the space on his cot and she fell back towards Bucky's side, causing her to apologize profusely.

"I asked for an extra blanket, but this is much better," Bucky said as he wrapped an arm around her and nuzzled his face into her half unbound hair.

"I didn't know you were cold, Buck," Steve admonished. "You could have taken mine."

"I'd rather keep Hermione."

"Boys, I'm not a hot water bottle to be passed around. Steve, unless you want me to sleep on you, I think this is the best we can manage. I'm not going to ask if you mind, Bucky, because you obviously don't."

"It's not like we haven't slept together before," Bucky teased.

"I hope no one is overhearing this. They're going to get the wrong idea entirely," Steve muttered as their banter conjured images to his mind that had nothing to do with sleeping arrangements and were making his uniform uncomfortable.

"Should be fine. It's quiet tonight," Hermione said. "And I promised you two a story, right?"

She first told Bucky of the pieces he was missing of her time with Steve, how she was from an alternate reality, another time and space.

"Can you prove it?" Bucky asked.

Hermione shifted to dig into her pocket. One of her coins dated from 1997. Bucky lit his lighter and nodded.

"Guess you had other proof?" he asked him, looking over Hermione's profile.

"Plenty. Of the magic too. Can you show him the animal made of light?"

He had always wanted to see it again but hadn't wanted to ask Hermione before as she had been so distraught the last time she had summoned it. Hermione bit her lip and he knew he wouldn't like whatever she said next.

"I can't. That takes us to the second part of this story."

She took his hand and he gave it a gentle squeeze of encouragement while Bucky tightened his arm around her.

Ten weeks ago...

Hermione squinted around the snowy slopes. She didn't know if Norvegian winters were always this extreme or if this was a particularly bad one, but they were making little progress towards the small church she was certain hosted an artefact Hydra was after. Even her compass seemed to be affected by the cold and they'd had to backtrack a couple of times already. The only silver lining in this situation was that they hadn't encountered a single German patrol. They were probably snowed in somewhere, enjoying a hot cup of cocoa. Standing in the snow and freezing gales, trying to figure out the direction to take, Hermione had never hated nazis more than she did right now.

"Sergeant! One of the scouts thinks he found the village."

"Thinks?"

"Well, we can't read the name for shit, but it looks close enough and there is a very old stone church like you described."

"Stone? He's sure about that?"

Most of the smaller, older churches like the one she was searching for were made of wood, and with everything covered in snow, it was hard to tell one thing from the next. But this was a better lead than they'd had in the last three days, so she nodded for them to go on.

"Show the way, then."

She turned her raquettes around and ploughed her way through the powder like snow. Good thing she'd learned a thing or two spending winters in Scotland. When they got there, she only had to glance at the church to know this was it. Or what was left of it. All this time and effort for nought. They'd come too late. Hydra already had the mythical cube of power, the Tesseract. Now, she dearly hoped it was only a myth because if it was half as powerful as legends reported it to be, then they were all fucked.

Events like these made her realise how much more different this world was, and how much she was invested in it at present. Already in New York, when she had realized this was not her reality, she had decided she was here to stay. Maybe even before that, because there was Steve… She had never met someone like him before: so caring, with a sense of justice more ingrained than she had seen in any Gryffindor, brave and strong on the inside, but so weak on the outside it broke her heart. She had wanted to protect him at first, the way he had protected her when they met, despite the odds stacked against him.

But then she had grown attached to him, and then fallen in love with such ease, she couldn't have fought her feelings if she had tried. So she was here to stay. She wouldn't return to the world that had birthed her even if she was given that choice. Meeting Bucky had been a strange experience. He and Steve fit like two pieces of a puzzle, but out of two different boxes, in a way Harry and Ron never had. She feared she would become an outsider when he showed up, the way she had always been, even amongst friends, but Bucky accepted her with open arms. Sometimes literally if she took into account the last night they'd spent sleeping together. It should have been weird, but it wasn't. The three of them created their own little bubble of peace and understanding.

"Ma'am?" her second in command asked.

Pembrook sometimes fell back on treating her like a civilian and a woman rather than his team leader on this mission, not that she blamed him. He was far more experienced and higher ranking than she was, so she let him do his work, only pointing in which direction she wanted to go. They were both happy with the tacit agreement, and so were the other men, she was sure. They were nice enough, but it obviously bothered them to be following a woman, and one who didn't even sound American despite her uniform.

"Any locals around?" she asked.

"No. No bodies either. They might have fled, or been taken prisoners."

With Hydra, either of those were an option. Those thugs didn't bother wearing gloves when they wanted something. The way the centuries old church, a historical and architectural treasure in its own right, had been gutted open like a Christmas turkey, was a testament to that.

"Still no sign of enemy troops?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Alright, we'll set up camp for the night in the church if that's alright with you. It'll give me time to figure out what was taken, if anything. The tower should be good enough for a lookout?"

He nodded and barked out orders. Hermione smiled at the efficiency Pembrook displayed. With the knowledge she was in good hands and didn't have to keep an eye out, she set about to investigate the ruins with a peaceful mind. It was slow going with all the snow that had blown in through the open doorway but there was a tomb, the heavy stone lid of which had been thrown off with such force, it had landed three feet away and broken in several pieces like a shattered mirror. Hermione inspected the lid first, the runes were half erased by time but she could piece together the story of the warrior entrusted with the cosmic cube from the All-Father, which would have been great news if only she had gotten to it first… Peeking into the tomb, the poor skeleton warrior had had his arms ripped off. Definitely Hydra's work. No respect for anyone or anything, living or dead. She found the bones nearby and froze, stunned, because all around, lay what she'd first thought was ice, but, upon closer inspection, turned out to be glass. Making sure her escort were all busy, she palmed her wand and cast a reparo on the broken object which reformed into a perfect glass cube with a dull discoloration in its center.

A fake. It was only a solid block of glass. Not a container for something, and without any spark of energy to it. Ancient, but ultimately worthless. Hydra must have crushed it in anger. Typical. So did they leave empty handed? She kept the spark of hope and relief in check, and paced around the tomb in widening circles, drawn more and more towards the carved wall of Yggdrasil until she was called over by Pembrook standing near the fallen wooden doors of the church. He pointed to the floor which had been covered in snow, revealing a dark stain beneath. Hermione pursed her lips, not particularly surprised Hydra had commited murder in a sacred place.

"Good job on sealing the entrance, Captain," she said, nodding towards the tarp they'd pulled over the collapsed doors and wall.

It cut off the wind and stopped more snow from blowing in, cutting the chill drastically although the night would be difficult to sleep through.

"Rest up. We'll leave at first light."

Pembrook saluted, seemed to catch himself, and smiled sheepishly before gathering his men like a flock of lost lambs for the night. Taking advantage they were all busy, Hermione cast a warming ward all around the large room. Not too warm, they weren't idiots, but enough that they'd attribute the change in temperature to their own hard work and get a good night's sleep for a change. She returned immediately to the Yggdrasil carving after that. She'd never seen such a representation before. Asgard was represented floating above all, of course, and it drew the eye away from the rest. However, she could feel some lingering energy and followed her instinct, tracing a finger down the tree, through the others realms and to its roots. The bottom was still layered in snow and ice however, so she cast a warming charm on her leather gloves to wipe it away until she found a small square hiding nook that had obviously been pillaged already. The traces of energy were alien. Not quite like electricity, not quite like magic. It was something else, something new, yet old like the world.

She had no doubt now that Hydra had found the Tesseract before them. With a sinking heart she joined the men around a small firecamp.

"Bad news, Sarge?" one of them asked.

"They found the artefact."

The men's face fell. They didn't know what it was, per say, nor who they were up against exactly. They didn't need to know as they weren't a part of Project Robin, but they knew enough to understand they had failed and come all the way out here for nothing.

"At least we know. We can prepare ourselves," she tried to comfort them.

She wished someone could comfort her. Schmidt having the Tesseract was like… Voldemort with the mastery of the deathly hallows, only much much worse, she suspected. The information she had on Schmidt was vague and mostly hearsay, but she had seen how fast he found the artefacts and the aftermath of his pillaging. The man was cunning, ruthless and power-hungry. It was with an uneasy mind she drifted off to sleep.

Pembrook shook her awake none too gently some time later. He usually slept next to her in order to keep an eye on the boys, as if she couldn't defend herself.

"Look-out signaled movement. At least four. Circling around."

Hermione nodded. Adrenaline thrumming through her veins, she was as alert as she could hope to be. She crawled out of her blanket, having kept her boots on and cocked her gun. Using a gun did not come naturally, but using a wand for most of her life had given her pretty good aim and reflexes. She would still rather have her wand out, and was ready to use it at any moment if the battle turned sour. She stared at the tarp for any sign of their visitors like the rest of her troop. It may not be Germans, but only locals checking out what was going on with their church again.

But the tarp wasn't pulled aside and she heard a metallic sound, like a chime, then another and a small ball came rolling out from under the tarp.

"Grenade!" Pembrook shouted and threw himself over her just before it detonated with a small hiss.

"Gas!" he corrected. "Fuck."

Because gas masks were not standard equipment.

"Cowards!" he shouted towards the entrance.

They huddled towards the back of the church where the air was still clear but another grenade came crashing through a window behind them. Hermione tried to keep her breathing under control the way she coached Steve to do during his asthma attack, then used her wand to create a bubble charm around them. It was the largest bubble charm she had ever cast but it worked. The greyish gas molding against it. The men muttered amongst them and one of the soldiers was going to poke it with his finger, the bloody idiot.

"Don't," she grumbled.

It was hard enough keeping the thing stable. If she'd had time, she would have cast a bubble charm on each of their heads and they could have fought their way out. But she didn't have time for such a task and couldn't choose who would get a fighting chance and who would be left to choke, so she'd neatly boxed herself into a corner, too busy keeping up the giant bubble to do anything else to save them all.

"What- How-" Pembrook sputtered before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, now I get it. We can't just wait here, though. We're sitting ducks."

"Will the gas disperse?" she asked through gritted teeth.

She could swear the gas was poking at the bubble charm, looking for a way in.

"No breeze. Might take a while. They're probably waiting outside just for that."

Hermione nodded.

"How long can you hold your breath?"

"How long do you need?"

Hermione calculated how fast she could cast a strong wind charm: dropping the bubble charm, wand movement, incantation and effect.

"Forty seconds at most."

The men nodded around her.

"Then get ready to run and attack."

Her wind spell worked like a charm and the gas was expulsed out through the doorway before she could inhale any while speaking the incantation. They charged and Hermione cast a shielding charm at the front line. If her magic was out of the closet, so to speak, she might as well go all out and keep them safe. It was an all out battle in front of the church. The gas had hit a few Germans as it was expelled, but they were still outnumbered and eventually overwhelmed. Still a better outcome than being gassed like insects. They fought with all they had, they fought for their life, for freedom, for a chance to see their home and loved ones again.

Steve.

It was his face she saw when the barrel of the gun stopped inches from her own. This was it then. Death had finally come for her.

"Surrender, Fraulein."

Hermione glared at the man towering over her, jutting out her chin mulishly.

"Surrender, or say bye bye to your Freude."

He tossed his head to the left and she caught a glimpse of Pembrook and a few other men being aligned in the snow with their hands up. It looked too much like an execution lineup and Pembrook shook his head at her. She was about to call the nazy out for being a liar when she was hit from the back.

A liar and a coward.

When she woke up, she was a prisoner, unsurprisingly. It had been a dangerous mission, so far out behind enemy lines, but that's usually how Robin missions went. Success rate was poor and Death rate high. She might even have refused if she hadn't identified this artefact as something as bad as a nuclear bomb.

At least she was travelling comfortably for a prisoner, she'd give them that, but Hydra, because these were Hydra soldiers according to their octopus pins, never did anything without a reason, so she stayed on her guards. Maybe they wanted to soften her up, gain sympathy, a little stockholm syndrome on the side maybe? Ha! Fat chance. She knew evil when she saw it.

"Where are my men?" she demanded.

One of the soldiers, probably the higher up given the way he strutted over to her like a peacock, with a smile which didn't reach his eyes.

"Prisoners of war, of course. They stay in the snow, but our leader wishes to meet you personally, Fraulein Granger."

He said her name all wrong, but it chilled her that he seemed to know exactly who she was. Concerning Pembrook and his troop, she had no way of knowing if their supposed fate was true or not.

As for meeting with Schmidt, she couldn't think of anything else she'd rather not do.


	9. The Shift

It took days jumping from one plane to the next, making detours and finally riding a car to get to what looked like a factory with its high chimneys puffing out smoke like a sailor's pipe. She estimated she was somewhere in the middle of Europe, but she could be off by several hundred miles. What she did know was that she was in deep trouble, but then again, she'd been ever since she set foot in Europe.

She was brought up to an office decorated in typical villain lavishness which actually reminded her of Malfoy Manor and she couldn't help but step off the lush carpet. It wasn't the same color as the one she had been tortured on by Bellatrix, but it certainly bore a similarity in its patterns and thickness.

"Ah, Fraulein Granger. So glad you could join me," his host said with what actually looked like a sincere smile.

"It's not like I had a choice. You're Johann Schmidt, aren't you?"

"Indeed. I'm honoured you recognize me."

"Know thy enemy."

"And know thyself," Schmidt smirked. "Which I most certainly do."

He motioned for her to sit down in the upholstered wingback chair which could have sat Hagrid with its ridiculous size. She hesitated so the guard behind her nudged her forward.

"None of that now, Hans. You may leave," Schmidt chided.

Her guard snapped his heels and walked out the door. She sat and stared at the man in front of her. One on one. Schmidt really did not think her a threat, and she supposed that without her wand, she really wasn't much of one.

"Tea?"

She snorted inelegantly.

"Something stronger, I reckon."

Schmidt served them whisky in twin crystal tumblers, then toasted his own glass in the air.

"To order," he said.

Not quite what she had been expecting.

"To your demise," she toasted back.

Schmidt chuckled and drank to it anyway, then tossed pictures her way.

"That is you, yes?" he asked as her eyes widened in surprise, because there she was in front of the Woolsworth building with her patronus in plain sight, lighting her features clearly in the dark.

She was perfectly recognizable. There was no denying it was her, but she checked every one of them to make sure Steve wasn't identifiable. Relieved he was safe, she considered whether to say it was only a trick of the light, but dismissed the idea because Schmidt's men would no doubt have told him about her other feats of magic during the battle in Norway.

"How did you get these?"

"We have eyes everywhere, Fraulein, although I'll admit this was more likely a stroke of luck. I would, however, like to hear your story. You are truly a mystery "

She tossed the pictures back on the opulent desk and downed her whisky. Liquid courage. She feared she would need it very soon.

"All the whisky in the world wouldn't loosen my tongue."

Nor would torture. If Bellatrix had failed using the cruciatus and a cursed blade, she doubted this Hitler flunky would succeed with muggle means.

"Interesting. You do not fear. Now, I want your story even more, and I always get what I want."

From then on, for days on end they isolated her, then tried sleep deprivation, lack of food, water, beatings, electric shocks… then something that truly frightened her when a so-called doctor managed to mess with her mind using a machine. It was painful. Half her face felt like it had taken a hit from a troll's club, like the one she had barely evaded in her first year, while her whole brain was pressed through a grinder. If she hadn't had some basic knowledge of occlumency, she might have broken then.

Failing to break her, they had managed to crack the surface though, and now she was to meet with Schmidt and she feared he might find the crack in her mind and pry her open. She was so out of it when they dragged her from what she dubbed the lab wing to the villain's lair that she thought she heard her name echo around her, as if someone was calling for her. If she was starting to have auditory hallucinations, she might be worse off than she had estimated.

"Fraulein!" came Schmidt's loud greeting, his voice grating after the quiet of the lab. "I am sorry for not meeting sooner, but I was… otherwise occupied. I see you were treated well, however."

Hermione made the effort to glare at him, but was shocked to see her wand in his hands. She knew he had it, of course, but had not expect to see it so close at hand. So close… She lunged forward, but dear old Hans caught her by the hair and she fell back on her arse. Hans hauled her up by the back of her uniform, tearing several seams, while Schmidt tutted at her.

"You see, I thought this was your source of power, and you do crave it I see, but it is merely wood," he said and rapped the wand against his desk, eliciting a hollow tap tap of wood on wood.

She winced because her wand _was_ unique and irreplaceable in this reality, but only of use to her.

"So, the power I am seeking," Schmidt continued as he rounded his desk to tower over her. "Must come from here."

He pressed the tip of her wand to her chest, hard enough to cause pain, but she fought against Hans' grip anyway. If only she could grasp her wand, she would be able to disapparate and leave this nightmare of a place, but Hans was unyielding. Schmidt looked down at her, his gaze evaluating, while she stood with her eyes cast down, shoulders slumped, her curtain of hair hiding her features. She didn't want him to think she needed to be broken any more before whatever came next. She needed what little will and strength she had left.

"Follow," he ordered, and Hans frog marched her to the next room.

She had imagined a place as disgustingly opulent as his office, a library maybe, but it looked more like a workshop crossed with a meeting room, all of it permeated in an unnatural blue light. The so-called doctor was there too, and she felt her hair stand on end at the sight of him.

"Doctor, if you will," Schmidt said.

Hermione kept her eyes on the pudgy man. He reminded her of Wormtail. The way he scuttered about on his small legs, eager to please his Master… she imagined it was too much to hope he strangled himself to death with his own hand. However, all thought of causing him severe bodily harm flew out the window when he used long metal pincers to retrieve the source of light from his machine. As soon as it was out, the air turned as thick as molasses. The blue cube was otherworldly and she knew without a doubt what it was.

"The Tesseract," she gasped, her breath coming short from her proximity to the source of pure energy.

It was too much. Too much raw power, unbridled, dangerous, not evil but not good either, and her whole magic recoiled at being so close to it. She instinctively knew the cube needed to be contained, hidden and forgotten by all. No mortal could control such a thing. Might as well try to hold a star.

"Precisely," Schmidt said. "You fear this. You have feared nothing until now. Why this?"

"It's… too much power."

Schmidt laughed.

"There is no such thing as too much power, Fraulein, only those too weak to take it, and you are not weak. Doctor."

He motioned for his minion to proceed and she stepped back, walking on Hans' foot, pressed flush against him, but she would climb the son of a bitch if it meant getting away from the Tesseract. His grip on her tightened though, holding both her arms behind her back and keeping her on her toes as if offering her in sacrifice to the glowing cube.

When it came close enough that the light hurt her very eyeballs, a tendril of energy coiled away from the cube towards her. Energy seeking energy. But they were not meant to meet, never should have since she was from another reality. When it brushed against her magic, she was drained like a battery and fell like a puppet with its strings cut, only held up by her guard's hold on her, then new energy filled her whole being with such force she thought she would implode from the shock of it and turn to dust, but she was merely flung back against the back wall instead, swatted away like a bothersome fly, as if judged unworthy and tossed aside. She was saved from more bruising by using Hans as a cushion. Served him right. But when the dark haze of unconsciousness started to fall over her, she had to wonder just how sentient the Tesseract was.

"And then I woke up on top of a tank, outside for the first time in weeks, and there was good ol'Bucky and a mountain of muscles wearing my boyfriend's face."

Silence fell over them, the dump of information needing some time to be processed. Steve wasn't naive, he knew she had glossed over several parts. Even Bucky seemed to know more about it, the way he had tensed and held her closer. Hell, he probably did. They had both been subjected to that same horrid "doctor". Anger roiled around his stomach and Steve wanted to lash out, but not here, not now. Not when Hermione was shaking just froma telling her story.

Hydra had tortured her, had taken her wand and done something to her magic with the artefact she had been seeking. No wonder she had been distant. Going through all that… He couldn't imagine. Steve looked at her longingly from his cot. He wanted to pull her close against him and use his new body to shield her from all the evils of the world, but it was this same oversized body that kept him from sharing his cot with her. Bucky was doing a fair job of it anyway, spooned around her like protective armor, sharing comfort and warmth. He felt he should be jealous of their proximity, but this wasn't their first time sharing a bed and he loved them both with such fierceness, it felt natural they would fit together, all three of them. Seeing the ease with which Hermione and Bucky embraced each other, he thought they might feel the same way too.

Steve brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"We'll find them and make them pay," he promised, his voice rough, still coloured with anger. "We will get your wand back."

He knew it was important to her. She could still do magic, obviously, but he had never seen her do so before without it. It might be more difficult or taxing for her, he wasn't sure and didn't want to ask now, although he would need to very soon, before their team left off.

On the bright side, there were no nightmares that night, none that woke him at least. In fact, Hermione and Bucky were still sleeping peacefully when he checked on them the next morning, wrapped in each other's arms, but he reluctantly got up when he heard a commotion outside. It could be nothing, but he wasn't going to wait for trouble to find him.

Trouble, as it turned out, was Stark and his ostentatious car. Very shiny and red and no doubt costing more than he'll ever earn. Stark was chatting Peggy up while soldiers were admiring his ride. It looked entirely unpractical for these parts. A jeep would be a much better choice in his opinion, but people often chose beauty over practicality.

"Hey, Captain! My man! Just the person I was looking for!"

Steve's eyebrows shot up. He had no idea why Stark would seek him out, of all people, but he had to admit he owed the man big for giving him a plane lift into a dangerous zone.

"How can I help you?"

"Hop in!" Stark said with a nod at his car.

"Go on," Peggy agreed. "I'll tell Hermione where you've gone off to." She lowered her voice. "Is she…"

He nodded, then smiled secretively.

"No nightmares."

Peggy returned the smile and sent him off, warning him to not let Howard walk all over him. True enough, the engineer's personality was loud and overwhelming, but he meant well. He was surprised to find Stark didn't need a favour at all, but had a gift for him: a shiny round shield which seemed as light as a feather.

"Mr Stark-"

"Howard. Come on, buddy. We've laughed in the face of Death together, and worse: Colonel Phillips! Maaaan can that guy hold a grudge! Good thing he likes my toys, which made me think of yours. I heard you're going out soon. Come on, test it out."

Howard pointed at a dummy at the far end of the cluttered warehouse where he was currently tinkering with one of the tanks they'd brought back from Hydra's base in Azzano. Steve held the silver shield up, testing it's balance and weight. Howard rapped on it with a metal rod and it rung harmoniously. It was perfect and took him little effort to throw towards the dummy, decapitating it in the process.

"Ow!" Howard exclaimed with a laugh while Steve winced.

Better yet, the shield bounced off the wall behind the headless dummy and came back to him in a perfect straight line. Steve caught it easily and gave its creator an impressed look.

"That's definitely going to come in handy."

"Bulletproof too. Want to try it out?"

"Sure?" Steve replied uncertainly.

If it didn't work, they were going to have a hard time explaining to the Colonel why his chief engineer had been shooting at his supersoldier.

"Ready?" Howard asked stepping back ten paces and taking aim.

"I feel like I should be saying no."

Howard chuckled and emptied his clip. Looking down at the front of his shield, he found it as good as new. Not a single scratch to be found on the gleaming surface.

"Wow. Think it'll work against those Hydra guns too?"

"I haven't been able to test it, but in theory, it will deflect the beam of energy like a mirror so be careful where you angle it."

Steve nodded. He could use that against them. He had flattened Howard's bullets but he supposed that if he caught the shots just right, he could theoretically also deflect them towards the enemy.

"Thank you for this. I don't know how to repay you."

"Just win the war for us, Captain."

Steve snorted.

"I'll do my best."

He left his shield with Howard who wanted to paint it. Something to do with P.R. apparently. Steve hoped they weren't going to make him go into battle in tightpants again. His men would be laughing themselves silly all the way to Berlin. Hermione would too, he was sure.

The rest of the day was spent planning their route and training together. Hermione could fling anything in any direction, the force of it depending on the weight of the object or person in question. Her feats of magic drew a crowd, and he was glad to note people were in awe of her power rather than afraid, but he supposed this crowd, in particular, had seen some shit at the hands of Hydra and were just glad they had secret weapons just as powerful on their side. Steve's training with a normal shield seemed a bit pointless, so he just went through standard physical with Dum Dum before they sparred together. He couldn't go full out, lest he send him to the hospital, but it became quite challenging when Morita and Falsworth eventually joined in the fight against him. Bucky had gone off shooting for game with several soldiers of the one-oh-seventh who were sick and tired of eating the same old spam. And Jones and Dernier… well, those two were just terrifying as they devised tactics and specific weapons to use against Hydra. Steve finally sent the duo off to see Howard to get them equipped with the certainty the genius would find a way to improve upon their designs.

He had worried about Dernier at first because of the language barrier, but he understood English well enough, the basics at least, and was just terrible at speaking it. His attempts came out a garbled mess of sounds he couldn't make head nor tail off. Jones and Hermione spoke French anyway, so he wasn't too isolated, and Steve was slowly picking it up as well. As a resistant fighter for the last three years, Dernier would be invaluable in connecting them to the various other resistance networks who were distrustful of strangers by necessity.

All in all, his ragtag team was meshing well and he felt they could actually take down Hydra with such a formidable group.

Bucky returned with a couple of deers that evening, and everyone was content and full when they turned in for the night.

"What do you suppose the Colonel wants with us tomorrow?" Bucky asked him as he undressed. He sniffed himself and wrinkled his nose. "I need a shower."

"You own fault for skipping off all day."

"I put food in that belly, you little punk," Bucky said as he jabbed him in the stomach before shaking his hand in the air. "Ouch. Are you actually made of stone now?"

"Who knows? I'm just the lab rat, remember?"

Bucky huffed, then looked at the cots with a furrowed brow.

"Think Hermione will come around tonight?" he asked.

"I don't know. She needed to talk yesterday… She didn't say anything about tonight."

Bucky nodded and climbed into bed.

"You don't mind… that I'm here? If you need some privacy, I could-"

"No," Steve assured him. "We take care of each other, remember? Besides, we sort of made it a habit whenever we're all three together. I think we sleep better this way."

Bucky gave him a puzzled look, so Steve elaborated.

"Peggy told me Hermione had nightmares, but she didn't last night."

"Oh," Bucky said and looked away. They both knew he had, too, except for last night, but neither mentioned it. "I really like her," he admitted quietly.

"I know, Buck."

"I don't get you," he muttered, turning his gaze towards the canvas overhead.

Steve shrugged, making his cot squeak loudly under the strain of his bulk, so he didn't hear at first when Hermione sneaked into their tent. He didn't know if she had heard any of their conversation either. Hopefully not. He didn't want her to think he didn't care about her, but he didn't want her to think he considered her his possession either. Without a word, she took off her boots, shed her coat and climbed into bed between them, falling back into Bucky's waiting arms as she reached for his hand. Suddenly, the cot sank and Hermione rolled on top of him while Bucky fell against his side, with surprised, muffled exclamations all around.

"What the hell?"

"Everyone all right?"

"I'm sorry," Hermione mumbled against his chest, sounding miserable.

"Did you just… fuse our cots together?" Bucky asked, rolling back to his side to even out their weight on the structure.

"I didn't mean to," Hermione mumbled as she stayed sprawled over him.

Her arms wound around him, hugging him, and he returned it with fervour, burying his face in her curls. She always smelled so sweet, even after spending days in a muddy camp with little to no hot water.

"I just wanted to be closer and my magic… I'm having a hard time keeping it under control," she admitted and let go, falling back beside him with a huff.

"You're not going to turn us into toads while we sleep, doll, right?"

Hermione smiled against him.

"You call me doll again, Buck, and I just might."


	10. Something Green

Steve woke up in a tangle of limbs after Hermione had tried to extricate herself, in vain, from the oversized cot so she could return to Peggy's tent before the whole camp came alive. Apparently, last morning had been a narrow miss and none of them wanted to anger Colonel Phillips enough that he would pull her from the team.

"Morning," he told her. "Bucky giving your trouble?"

"He's like a very warm octopus," she agreed, trying to

pry his left arm from her middle.

"Just five more minutes," Bucky mumbled from her back. "This is the best part of the day. Why are two not enjoying it like normal people?"

"I don't think I qualify as normal, I'm a super soldier."

"And I'm a witch, so..."

Bucky groaned but let her go and turned on his other side, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Meet you two at 0800," Hermione reminded them, then kissed Steve on the lips, the way she used to back in New-York when he was weak and small.

Progress! They were back to what they used to be, or so he hoped. He wanted to pull her back for more, but she really did need to get going, so he let her go, his eyes following her all the way out.

"You're an idiot," Bucky said from his blanket fort.

"You're one to talk, squid-man."

They had duties, priorities… Steve had no doubt he would be sacrificing his personal desires more often than not.

At 0800, The Colonel's tent was filled with his handpicked team. Hermione kept her distance from him to let their superior know the message had been received loud and clear, and that they would be on their best behaviour.

"Stark dropped these off for you sorry lot last night," he said gesturing at his desk.

Steve grinned when he saw his shield, painted in red and blue, a star in its center. He liked it. And Howard had included straps and magnets so he could carry it on his back and retrieve it without too much bother. It was perfect. He owed him again.

Jones and Dernier were gushing over metal contraptions with wires that didn't look like anything he'd ever seen before. They might be toasters for all he knew.

"And the P.R. people got you poor bastards outfitted so you don't look like a bunch of bums wandered on the battlefield. We want you to make us proud."

"And crush Hydra," Bucky added somberly.

"That goes without saying, Barnes. Get ready, you're leaving today."

"Today?" Steve asked in surprise.

They were supposed to have a couple more days to rest up and train.

"Hydra troops are on the move. We don't want our intel to go stale so you need to hit these bases before they've moved all the valuables."

Steve nodded. His team appeared either determined or enthusiastic about the news. Maybe they had been getting a little restless staying in camp. He knew he had, but he recuperated much faster too.

"What the bloody hell is this?" Hermione asked as she held up something colored a sickly green.

"I thought you were the smart one. Figure it out," Philips snapped.

She unfolded the material, revealing more folds of the same gaudy cloth. She looked at the Colonel, then back at her bundle of clothes, then at the corner where Peggy was trying not to laugh as she mimed something, one hand up in the air while the other held a clipboard at her side.

"You've gotta be kidding me, sir."

Hermione sounded outraged while everyone else, himself included, were pretty keen about their own unique uniforms, even if his own was a bit over the top with patriotism. Bucky looked positively smitten with his blue coat that matched his eyes, but he did spare Hermione a worried glance at the sight of the green uniform she held. The Colonel wasn't having any of it though. He snapped his fingers then pointed at him and Hermione.

"You two will be the figureheads of this operation: Captain America and Lady Liberty." Several of the others snickered at Phillips' deadpan announcement of her new codename. "You got a problem with it, you take it to the P.R. department, because I certainly wasn't consulted. I'm just a glorified mailbox, apparently."

"I hope they like warts," Hermione muttered.

"That's just it, _Lady,_ " the Colonel barked, pointing a thick finger right in her nose. "Personally, I don't give a Damn how you pull off your little tricks, but we can't have the good people of the Free World thinking an unholy witch is fighting for them, now, can we? That would make us the villains. The personification of Freedom herself, however, she's good for morale back home and for our boys on the front."

"Merlin save me from politics."

"I'm sure you meant _God_. Now, if no one else has any _fashion issues,_ I'll let you be on your way. Dismissed."

They saluted and filed out. Hermione was getting teased mercilessly by the others, but giving as good as she got. He loved how feisty she was, but to think she'd never been very lady-like, from that first day she'd bitten a man to the bone, then rinsed her mouth out by spitting in his sink like a sailor and walking around half-naked the next day… to now be saddled with the name _Lady_ was kind of ironic. At least he got to be Captain, and it seemed a bit sexist now that he thought about it, but he could also understand the Colonel's concerns over her magic. No one wanted to see her burned at the stake by her own side. So Lady Liberty it was… he liked it, had a nice ring to it.

They all got changed, but when Hermione came back, her new uniform, or costume depending on how you looked at it, drew the eye of every man in the vicinity, which was quite a lot. It was cut much like the clothes she had worn when he had first met her. Very… snug, and not as sickly green as it had seemed in the tent. More like a forest green that blended nicely with the woods surrounding the camp. Both changes undoubtedly more practical than what the bigwigs had thought out from the comfort of their desks, he had to give her that. It was quite impressive she had managed to do that without her wand, but on the other hand, he suspected her magic had probably just acted out on its own out of sheer frustration, like the previous night with their two cots melding into one. The Colonel scowled at her but evidently thought better than to say anything, probably wary she would give _him_ the warts she had been muttering about earlier.

"Alright, gather around," Peggy called out, holding a camera. "And no rude gestures. This one's for posterity."

Steve was center with Hermione and Bucky on either side, Morita and Dernier apparently fighting to be next to Hermione before Dum Dum pushed them away with ease.

"Haven't got all day," Peggy warned. "Morita, really? Alright, one, two-"

Steve blinked the flash out of his eyes but he was up for round two because Peggy also wanted individual pictures for their personal files.

Then they were led to the entrance of the camp to find Howard had thought of everything. He had a couple of motorcycles and two Jeeps ready for them, full of supplies and ready to go.

Time to go win that war.

"That's a fucking huge factory to blow up on our own," Morita muttered from their cover under the treeline.

"Not up to the task, my friend?" Falsworth asked with a mocking smile. "You can stay here and watch how the professionals do it."

"There's nothing wrong with staying here," Bucky muttered, still looking for a tree he could climb to cover them.

"Not for a sniper, no, but have you seen Morita shoot?" Dum Dum chuckled.

"Hey, I'm getting better. Up close and personal with my grease gun, you know."

"It's not a competition," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes before following Bucky further down in case he found a tree she could levitate him into.

"Right," Steve said, getting their attention back. "Me, Lady and Dum Dum will go center and draw their attention when they realize something's off. Jones and Dernier, you sneak in from the East when they do and cause a maximum of damage to the structure. Morita and Falsworth, you sneak in from the West and grab every map and file that seems of interest. You two should be clear to snoop around, between the attacks and explosions, we should be drawing every guard away. Our intel says there are no prisoners here, but keep an eye out, just in case. All good?"

"Sounds good," Falsworth agreed with a twitch of his moustache. "I'll keep things quiet if other-James can keep his gob shut for a little while."

"Why am I other-James?" Morita complained. "How did we end up with three Jameses on such a small team anyway?"

"See what I mean, Captain? Permission to gag him?" Falsworth asked in all seriousness.

Or maybe not. It was hard to tell with Brits sometimes and he was dating one. Steve actually considered the request because Morita really was that mouthy, but he decided it would set a bad precedent in the end.

"Denied. Morita?"

The half-Japanese mimed locking his mouth and throwing away the key, but Steve expected that to last all of five minutes. Hermione returned with a thumbs up. Bucky was settled, they were ready to go.

His small group got closer than they thought was possible before the alarm sounded. It was the snow crunching under their boots and an overzealous guard that got them spotted. That one was the first to meet the business end of his shield and Steve was relieved when he avoided decapitating him like the training dummy. Steve deflected a salve of bullets afterwards, Dum Dum returning in kind with his shotgun while Hermione swept off their feet a few of those lodged up in the guard tower, who fell with sickening crunches at their feet. They wrecked havoc as they advanced and he had no doubt no one had noticed the two other duos skirting around the skirmish.

"Lady! Give me a boost!" Dum Dum demanded from behind him.

Steve was faster than any of them, but they had their tricks to make up for it, and soon Dum Dum joined him with a howl of utter joy and insanity as he was levitated through the air and pushed forward, his shotgun going off left and right. Hermione hadn't managed to boost herself yet. It was too unstable, but she trained on it every day and was getting better, despite her fear of heights.

A Hydra soldier he hadn't spotted dropped from the wall above him, a bullet to the head. Steve turned and saluted towards the woods, then started bashing the doors in. Dum Dum leaned into it too and the wood creaked ominously until it suddenly gave out. They waited a couple of minutes for Hermione to catch up, panting, her cheeks red.

"I need to do more cardio," she muttered.

Steve knew future-talk when he heard it and shrugged off her comment, but Dum Dum looked confused.

"Want me to give you a piggyback ride?" Dum Dum offered.

"Yeah because _that's_ going to strike fear into our enemy's heart," Hermione snorted. "I'm fine. Let's keep going. I saw Gabe and Jacques blow their way in. I don't think those understand the concept of discretion."

Steve rolled his eyes. That'll teach him to choose a bunch of hot heads as teammates. But in the end, even if they were loud and not at all disciplined, all their objectives were met and they left a pile of smoking rubble behind them.

"Meh, it wasn't that big," Morita concluded around the campfire that night. "What have you got lined up next, Cap?"

Steve looked up from the maps he and Falsworth had brought back. He still couldn't pinpoint where all the weapons were being sent, just a general direction up North. Maybe if they found two more similar maps, he could triangulate a smaller region.

"More of the same. Sorry."

The men groaned in mock consternation, but he could tell they were proud of their victory today and looking forward to more. Every single one of them had very good reason to hate Hydra with a passion. Even him. He would keep his promise to Erskine and remain a good man, but that didn't mean he wouldn't avenge him for his murder. He was brought out of his thoughts by a chorus of laughs.

"Le vin! More superior! French, bien sur," Dernier claimed with a thick accent as he dug a dark wine bottle from his bag.

"Whiskey," Dum Dum argued as he produced a bottle of said liquor from his own breast pocket. "That's what real men drink."

"Is that how you grew your moustache?" Morita snickered.

"At least, we can grow one," Falsworth replied to general laughter.

Only Hermione and Morita had smooth faces by now, and his girl patted Morita's back to comfort him.

"I only found this," Jones said and placed a bottle of clear liquid next to the other two. "It stinks. I think it's Vodka. Or maybe paint remover, what do I know? The label is written in gibberish."

"Wait," Steve said as he stared at the three bottles. "Were you guys _looting_?"

"You said we couldn't compete by tally, so we had to improvise and bet who would find the best bottle," Dum Dum replied.

"Which is unfair since I can't even play," Bucky muttered.

Steve glanced at Hermione and she turned pink as she retrieved a small bottle of rum from the green folds of her coat.

"I hoped to find sone Sherry, but this just proves they're inconsiderate barbarians. Did you find any?" she asked her British comparse.

"Unfortunately not, my dear. But I did find _this_."

"Absinth?" she asked as they all stared at the green bottle. "Okay. I think you win on alcohol concentration alone, but I am _not_ drinking that."

"It's really that strong?" Steve asked curiously.

The vibrant green colour of the liquid had him intrigued, but as far as he knew, alcohol had no effect on him because of the super-serum.

"It's been banned in several countries," Hermione warned. "It's also known as the green fairy and is said to cause hallucinations. Drink at your own peril."

Far from deterring the others, her warning only spurned them on.

"Don't come complaining tomorrow when we have to set out and you feel like death warmed over," Steve cautioned, but just like Hermione, his warning fell on deaf ears and they opened the bottle to pass it around.

Hermione stood after the first round and tapped him lightly on the back as she walked passed him. Looking at his team, he knew there was no point in trying to make them see sense, not even Bucky. They'd learn the hard way tomorrow morning. Nice and early. Steve got to his feet and went after Hermione, finding her sitting on the hood of one of the jeeps, looking up at the stars.

"We can finally get some alone time," she said when he approached. "I feel like we haven't had that since… well, since before."

Before?

"Oh. Before my 'growth spurt'?"

"Bucky will be pleased you're going with that instead of ''procedure'."

She reached for his hands, pulling him forward to stand between her legs. She hugged his middle, her head resting just below his chest and he had to dip his head quite a bit just to be able to smell her curls. Still that spring flower scent he remembered from back home, even way out here after a day filled with blood and smoke.

"We used to fit so easily," she said a bit wistfully.

"And I'd end up wheezing for every little thing," he reminded her.

"True. That was selfish of me. I think I need to… learn you again? Find the other ways in which we fit. It's a bit strange starting from scratch with the same person," she stopped babbling and looked up at him, biting her lip uncertainly. "If you want to, of course. This isn't sounding nearly as smooth as I'd planned."

"Maybe because you're overthinking? I swear I'm still the same guy inside, despite the new packaging. I love you, Hermione. That hasn't changed. "

He took advantage of her surprise to lean down and capture her lips. How he had missed her soft lips and clever tongue. If her moan was any indication, so had she. But he had to admit their height difference wasn't all that comfortable in the long run, so he scooped her off the jeep's hood, holding her up easily with one hand under each thigh, his fingers just grazing her shapely behind in her tight pants. She giggled and her face was hot against his, but they didn't break their kiss. It went from languid to frantic, and he wanted more. He wanted her naked skin under his. He wanted her as unclothed as she had been that night before his asthma attack had ruined everything. Maybe even more. Maybe tonight.

Hermione's breathing became erratic and he wondered if she was having an asthma attack of her own

"Alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she said breathless. "I want- I need- more."

"Tent?" he asked, and she nodded.

They had four tents of two for when they were out on the road with no shelter to be found, like tonight, and they had easily paired off, even if Bucky joined them more often than not. No one had commented on it so far, but they did get speculative looks thrown their way every now and then.

Steve walked to their tent, still carrying her up against him and keeping to the shadows to stay out of sight of their companions. Imbibed as they no doubt were by now, Steve knew wouldn't hold back on the lewd comments tonight.

As much as he would have liked to ravish Hermione on the spot, Steve had to let his girl go so she could magic their two cots into one. He couldn't even fondle her as she did so since she needed to focus and even then it could take some time. Maybe he should have ravished her right there on the car's hood. The thought did make his cock twitch in interest, but for their first time, a little intimacy and comfort wouldn't go amiss. In any case, Hermione's small cry of victory told him she had succeeded and she climbed on it with a surprised gasp.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Try it out and you'll see. I think my magic overdid it."

Steve lay beside her and was surprised by the feel of a real bed, more comfortable than any he had ever slept on.

"This is what I imagine sleeping on a cloud would feel like," he said with a wide smile.

Hermione rolled over and straddled him, making his breath catch when she rubbed against his erection. She frantically began undoing his buttons and buckles, pulling his uniform off with both impatience and reverence. Steve helped as much as she'd let him, just as impatient as she seemed to be. When his top half was naked, she faltered for a moment and he wished it wasn't so dark so he could see her expression, but the campfire was too far off, casting more shadows than light in their tent. He knew he had no reason to be nervous however, the super-serum had done a perfect job, but he recalled that night he had panicked, thinking she would see his weak body with all too much clarity. He didn't know what to expect but her diving headfirst to tease his nipple with her mouth was not it, and yet… he groaned at the sensation. It certainly was new, and he seemed to be hypersensitive in that area, but then she trailed kisses up his neck, nibbled his ear before continuing down his chest, over his stomach and hell, he was just sensitive all over. The sensations were maddening, too much and too little all at once.

"Can I?" he asked trapping her hands in his before she could go any lower.

At this rate he would be naked and quite done while she would still be fully clothed. She nodded and got rid of her coat herself while he started working on her many, many buttons. The P.R. people had overdone it a bit and he would have had a terse word with them about it if he could have justified why it irked him so.

He finally uncovered her warm, soft skin, smooth save for that scar he remembered peeking from the upper right side of her bra. He studied said contraption for a moment, letting his hands wander over it, but for the life of him couldn't figure out how to undo it. Thanks for nothing, Bucky. Or did his friend just have to look at one with his patented smoulder and it popped right off? In the end, he was saved the embarrassment of asking when Hermione's arm disappeared behind her back and it fell away. He bit his lip as he cupped one breast, brushed against her nipple, and he had thought the rest of her was soft before. He flipped them over with ease, making her squeak in surprise, and leaned over her to tease her the way she had just teased him with his tongue and mouth, satisfied at the way she panted and squirmed beneath him.

"Steve, please."

Oh, and the way she said her name with such need. That was definitely a new experience. His cock responded too, thrusting forward at the sound, wanting to please and be pleased. It was all he could do not to rip the rest of her uniform right off, but he did get her undressed in just a matter of seconds.

"Steve," she breathed out, almost a whine, as she tried to get his own clothes past his hips.

He shimmied out of them, his cock jutting out from the confines, hard and heavy and hot. The need to simply drive into her was overwhelming, but he knew -thanks Bucky- that wasn't done, so he took a deep breath, regaining some semblance of control, then losing it almost immediately when he felt her fingers on his erection.

"Wait," he begged.

Her hand froze, then retreated.

"Sorry," he said. "It's… a lot. I need…"

She seemed to understand, or he thought so before she sat up and muttered to herself while she reached for her clothes.

"What? Hermione?"

He was utterly confused now. Had he made some major faux pas?

"Condom! Merlin! I got so carried away, I almost forgot!"

Steve chuckled in relief, even if the scare had made his erection wane a little. Maybe not a bad setback, all things considered. They'd both gotten a bit carried away.

"Hold on to that thought," he told her as he settled back between her legs.

Just having her spread like that for him with such trust made his desire surge like wildfire caught in a strong wind, but first, make sure she's ready too. With some of the wild tales from Bucky's trysts in mind, most of which he was not at all ready for, Steve leaned over her, kissed her breasts, caressed her sides… God, she was so soft, smelled so nice, so warm… she responded to his touch, pushing into his hands, small moans escaping her even as he could hear her trying to bite them off. He kissed her, her lips swollen while his finger trailed down to her center and he found her ready, eager even. As hot as he felt and her slickness making it so easy to caress her folds without fear of hurting her. He had worried a bit, he had to admit, as she seemed so small now compared to him.

"Steve, I swear if you don't fuck me right now-"

A startled laugh escaped him and he tsked at her language.

"Yes, love," he murmured.

Her fingers sought out his cock, sliding down his length, then a second time but with the rubbery feel of the condom enveloping him, the sensation strange but he eventually forgot all about it as he realized he could take Hermione, although he was still a bit weary of hurting her.

"Would you rather-" Hermione started when he hadn't moved yet. "I think I should ride you," she said, taking the decision out of his hands and he was glad, not to mention aroused at the thought.

She pushed him back and he could see her more clearly now that she faced the tent flap, a sliver of golden light landing right over her pale figure and halo of curls. His breath caught at her beauty, at the way she straddled him, but he lost himself to the sensation of her sinking down onto his cock. He thought he would burst. She was so tight and warm, pressed all around him. It was unlike anything he knew. Amazing. And then she started _moving_ over him and it was driving him completely insane with lust. He wanted to be good to her in return, but honestly, it was all he could do not to give in too soon while she rode him, there was no other word for it. He held her hips as they twisted and lifted only to take him in again, and he moved with her, again and again, the need for more spurning him on, faster, harder as he inched ever closer to a precipice that he would gladly fall into.

They'd been so careful to be quiet but a deep, guttural groan escaped him. He couldn't articulate a single word if he tried, he was sure. Hermione moaned just as loudly soon after, his name on her lips, and she clenched around him, making him lose his grip on his control. He came hard, a sweet, delicious agony, and yes, definitely glad Hermione was on top or he might have crushed her from losing himself to his release.

As it was, she laid over his chest, breathing heavily and they stayed that way for a bit, just catching their breath.

"That was…" she said, but never finished her sentence.

"Yeah," he agreed with a chuckle. "That really was."


	11. Together Apart

Steve feared the next morning might be a bit awkward because they hadn't managed to be as discreet as they'd hoped, but he hadn't realized just how awkward it would be until he felt himself being sandwiched between a naked Hermione in his arms and a clothed Bucky behind him, spooning against his own naked back. Bucky must have been really drunk to sneak in with them despite their state of undress, but it was probably not worth the effort of trying to rouse him now. A sleeping Bucky was like a hibernating bear. Hermione, on the other hand, would no doubt prefer to get dressed before Bucky got an eyeful. She was very tolerant of their friend, but Steve thought this might be crossing a line. She had said that morals were looser in the future, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.

"Hermione," he whispered and kissed her temple.

She half-hummed, half-moaned and turned in his embrace to face him, her breasts and thighs and everything in between brushing against his skin and… yep, his cock was awake, had been for some time in fact, and was ready for round two. He groaned as she pushed herself even closer to his body, his erection poking insistently against her soft belly.

"Hermione," he growled. "Wake up, love. You're killing me here."

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled when she met his own.

"Hello."

"Morning love. Sorry to wake you, but we're not alone."

Her eyebrows shot up and she pushed herself up to peek over his arm, giggling when she let herself fall back.

"Looks like someone enjoys your pretty ass as much as I do."

"Hermione!" he hissed.

Just when he thought she couldn't scandalise him anymore.

"What? You don't expect me not to tease you two about it, do you? Besides, I can share with the friendly octopus now that there's so much of you. He does give the best cuddles."

"The future must be a really strange place," he muttered. "Anyway, I thought you'd want to get dressed before he woke up."

"With what they were drinking last night, I doubt he's going to wake anytime soon. We could probably have sex right now and he would never know."

Steve ran a hand over his face, not believing what he was hearing.

"You know, you're worse than all the guys put together, and that's saying a lot with the filthy mouths they got on them."

Hermione giggled and pecked his lips before sitting up, her bare chest even more beautiful in the daylight than the gloom of the night, except… he caught her left arm, turning it around before she could stand.

"What's that?" he asked, his thumb tracing over a series of red marks slashed across her upper arm.

Hermione froze and covered her arm with her other hand.

"It's nothing. Just old scars. I'm surprised you didn't notice before."

Steve scowled, thinking back on the one time he might have had the chance to see her arms completely exposed, but blushing at the realization he would have been too focused on her breasts to spare a glance at her arms. He let her go. He wasn't going to push the issue if she was uncomfortable with it. Steve didn't mind, but he could understand what it was to despise your own body, and having someone trying to force you to accept or like it had always irritated him.

"I love you," he said instead, infusing the words with sincerity and she smiled, her shoulders relaxing.

"I love you, Steve. Are you getting dressed too, or are you staying here for Bucky to have something to grope?"

Steve rolled away from his sleeping friend and sat up.

"Think I'll get up and give the guys the headache they deserve. Honestly, if we got attacked right now, there would only be the two of us to defend the camp."

"I'm sure we could handle it," Hermione said with a sniff.

"We might, at that. How many do you think we could take on at once?"

Hermione babbled on about some complicated maths that went way over his head, but she looked so happy and radiant in the rising sun, even as she dressed, that he let her, and went off to prepare a huge batch of fresh coffee for everyone when he was clothed, debating whether they should even bother moving on today or just stay here. They might find real shelter if they moved on however, so he settled on that plan and honked the jeep a couple of times when coffee was ready.

The most sorry bunch crawled out of their tents, all disheveled, bleary eyed and looking a bit sick. Or a lot in the case of Jones who ran off to the side to empty his stomach.

"Never drinking again," he vowed when he returned, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

Bucky arrived last, looking suspiciously normal. Just his usual grumpy morning face in fact. Steve glanced at Hermione who looked just as surprised. Had he not been drinking all night with the others? But if he hadn't, then why the hell had he joined them in bed? It was one thing to seek the comfort of friends, but quite another to join them while they were naked and reeking of sex. Bucky seemed overly nonchalant and was very careful not to meet his gaze or Hermione's. In fact, he appeared particularly fascinated by the tip of his boots this morning. Not that he blamed him if it was caused by Hermione's bluntness upon finding him there, but did that mean he'd been awake the whole time? Steve scowled as he tried to make sense of it, not noticing immediately when Hermione leaned against the jeep next to him.

"Bucky's acting weird," she said, confirming his thoughts. "He usually chews you out a few times about having to wake up so early, and you were particularly vicious this morning."

"Yeah, that too."

Hermione hummed in question.

"He's very carefully not looking at us."

"Huh… You're right. What do you think is going on in that funny little brain of his?"

"I've known him for years and I haven't a clue. Guess we'll know tonight. If he doesn't show up, we probably managed to scare him off."

"That'd be a first."

Steve nodded. He'd never known Bucky to flee any situation.

Bucky did not flee. Not that night when they found shelter in an old farm, nor the next in a house that had been vacated rather violently if the dark stains and bullet holes on the walls were any indication. He didn't say anything either. Simply joined them sometime during the night and spooned behind Hermione. Steve wished he would cuddle with him too, but realized that was probably a strange thought to have, even if they had done so as kids.

With a sigh, he put the whole situation out of his mind and observed their new target. Perched at it was on a cliff, it seemed both the most risky way to take it by storm, but also the one giving them the strongest element of surprise. He had no doubt in his mind they knew his team had attacked and raised their sister-factory to the ground so there would be more guards and patrols on high alert. The element of surprise was vital, but of his team, only Falsworth, Dum Dum and Dernier thought themselves capable of scaling the cliffside. Hermione and Morita admitted they were scared of heights, while Bucky and Jones didn't think they had either the technique or arm strength necessary.

"We split up," Falsworth said as if it was obvious.

"Except we'll be coming from opposite sides, unable to lend support to the other group if need be," Steve countered.

"But we're split evenly with you and Dernier on one side, and Lady and Jones on the other. I think it's nicely balanced to hit hard and blow everything up."

Steve reluctantly nodded. Falsworth was right. He was a more experienced strategist after all, but he still worried about having all the muscle on one side.

"It's decided then," he announced. "We should be up by the time you trek all the way around. Attack timed at…" He glanced at his watch. "1800. Dusk should just be falling by then."

They turned to gear up before leaving, but Steve caught Hermione's arm and pulled her to him.

"Be careful?" he asked.

"You're one to talk. Watch your back. I'll have Bucky to watch mine."

"You betcha, doll!" Bucky called out from nearby.

Steve rolled his eyes. At least he was acting normal again. He kissed her quickly, ducking his head when Dernier made loud smooching sounds at them.

"We'd better go," she chuckled.

The climb was easier than it seemed from down below, the incline not as steep and they made good time to the top, arriving before the agreed upon time to attack. They settled with their backs to the wall, the window they would be breaking in through just above their heads. He hoped the others had made it up alright. There was always the chance of discovery along the way and his mind conjured up all sorts of nightmare scenarios until it was time. Steve held his shield high and hit the window, jumping in before anyone could start shooting. This place was great for ricochets, he noted with glee, before flinging his shield as hard as he could. He grimaced upon retrieval though, because it was going to need heavy duty cleaning tonight. His group tore through the factory like a hot knife through butter. They had obviously not thought this side was worth guarding too heavily, which made him worry all the more for the other group attacking from the front. They pressed on but had to stop when they found a group of prisoners in cages, just like most of his team had been what seemed like ages ago. They were a mixed bunch too, including civilians, but only about thirty all together.

"Are there more around?" Steve asked them when they had been let out, thinking of Bucky and Hermione who had been kept apart from the other prisoners.

"Some are working down below, about as much as we are. They make us work in shifts."

"Dum Dum, Dernier, you go free them and blow up the production units before leaving. Not the whole place, mind. It's cold outside. We'll take these out front just in case."

They pushed on, some of the freed soldiers finding weapons of fortune or taking them from the fallen Hydra agents. Soon they heard what Steve recognized as the screams of men falling from very high. The following meaty thud and crunch of breaking bones confirmed his suspicion and he grinned in relief. Hermione appeared in all her green glory and he could sort of see what she was supposed to symbolise even if she looked much more thunderous than the placid Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, the prisoners with him aimed their few weapons at her before he could warn them they were friendlies.

"I see you made new friends," Hermione said, keeping her hands in the air and sure enough, a couple of Hydra agents were squirming several feet up in the air.

"It's okay," Steve said over his shoulder. "They're with us."

"But how is she-"

"It's a long story."

The guns eventually lowered, so did Hermione's hands, and two unfortunate Hydra men would not be getting back up, their necks snapped at awkward angles. Even Hermione made a face at the sound they made crashing down, but there was no helping that. They found out very soon that people who worked for Hydra were not redeemable, and after talking about it with Hermione, she was already quite experienced about the reality of war. She did not enjoy killing, of course, but understood the necessity of it. Soon, an explosion made the building shudder briefly.

"Jacques?" Hermione asked, head tilted towards where the detonation had come from.

Steve nodded.

"He should be back with Dum Dum and about thirty more prisoners soon. Gabe, can you radio the Colonel to arrange pick up for everyone? Where are Bucky and Morita?" he asked, peering around with a frown.

"We got a bit overwhelmed out front so I flew Bucky up a perch. He was fine the last I saw of him, but I should probably help him down. Morita got hit," she bit her lip, but hurried to add. "He'll be okay, I think, but his leg was injured and he wouldn't slow down, so I flew him up a tree. I should get him down now as well. He doesn't like heights."

Hermione seemed really frazzled, so he walked with her as she exited. Falsworth and Dum Dum were returning anyway. They could oversee the freed prisoners.

"It's not your fault Morita was hit," Steve tried.

It was his best bet on what was bothering her, but it was true nonetheless.

"I know. I still feel bad about it, made me realize... I'm not like you. I'm not a natural leader. I've always been supporting my friends. Harry was a natural leader too, and Ron a good strategist. I was just there to give them a helping hand with my books. But here…" she sighed. "My first mission in Norway was a disaster. I lost everyone. I don't even know where they are, if they're still alive… Peggy couldn't find out anything. And here I lead a second team and Morita went down and I… I lost control over my magic for a moment when I saw him fall. It could have gone awfully wrong."

Steve reached for her hand to give it a squeeze. They were far enough from strangers' eyes.

"What happened with your magic?" he asked.

"About time!" Morita bellowed from above, cutting off her answer. "Get me down, woman!"

Morita screwed his eyes shut while she carefully levitated him down.

"How's you leg?" Steve asked.

"I told her it was fine. I swear she's worse than my mother, and I wouldn't have thought that possible."

Steve looked at where his uniform was torn but there was very little blood.

"Well, try not to trip on your own feet next time," he chuckled and patted him on the back. "You gave her a fright."

"Yeah, you shoulda seen how she avenged my fall, Cap. She sent a whole platoon shooting up like rockets, it was beautiful and then it started raining men."

Morita laughed and Steve looked over his head at Hermione who was biting her lip, seemingly lost in thought. So that's what she had meant by losing control over her magic? It had… flared up because of her emotions? He could understand why she didn't want that to get around since it could get used against her.

Next up was Bucky. He looked for all the world like he was taking a nap on top of some kind of metal tower.

"Hey, Buck! Stop lazing about!" Steve called out.

"Lazing about? We did all the work, you little punk. Hey, Lady! Catch me?"

Before anyone could protest, Bucky jumped over the railing. Steve stepped forward, arms spread out and ready to catch him, but his fall slowed suddenly, then stopped just out of reach.

"That was incredibly stupid, Buck," Hermione said angrily.

"I knew you'd catch me."

"Really? Well, now I'm tempted to just leave you floating there like the idiot that you are."

"Oh, c'mon darlin'. Don't be like that."

Hermione huffed, but lowered him a couple more feet before letting him drop on his arse.

"Oops," she mocked, turning on her heels.

She walked away with Morita dogging her steps, trying to convince her to do it to Dum Dum next, and he must have been particularly annoying because he yelped and was now the one being towed behind her like a balloon, squawking in protest. Steve shook his head and glanced at Bucky, still sprawled on the ground as he looked at Hermione stride away, her whole posture radiating annoyance.

"You shouldn't provoke her like that. You know she's got a temper."

"Yeah, she's a real firecracker," Bucky said with a grin before he took his hand to help him up. "That's why it's so much fun to rile her up. Don't tell me you never do it?"

"Not on purpose, no," Steve said with a frown. "Why would I?"

"Well, you know what they say about angry sex? It's almost as good as make-up sex."

His face burned. After all this time, after hearing about Bucky's exploits, and even now that he actually knew what all the fuss was about, still, he blushed at hearing it talked about so crudely.

"I really don't think that's going to be an issue," he muttered.

Because making love to Hermione had been wonderful, and he seriously doubted having her angry would make it any better. How did you even get to a point where you had sex with someone who was angry at you? It didn't make any sense.

"I'm happy for you, you know?" Bucky said as he clapped a hand over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" Steve asked, looking sideways at him, because he'd been acting a bit strange lately.

"My two favourite people in the world are happy together. Why wouldn't I be?"

He sounded sincere and Bucky wouldn't lie about it anyway, but his smile was lopsided, a bit sad.

"We'll always be there for you, Buck. Just because we're together, we don't want you to feel left out."

"Can't say you are, no. I know you don't mind me, but you know any other dame than Hermione would have tossed me out in the cold, or dropped you for not defending her honor or some tripe. I hope you realize that, bud."

"Well, she is from-" Steve glanced around but they were still a ways off from the group gathered up ahead who looked like they were passing the floating Morita around like a beach ball. "The future. Apparently, people there are overall less…"

"Stuck-up?"

"Guess that's one way of putting it. She told me people can live together and have kids without being married, and it's not the least bit scandalous. That mixed-race couples are common enough they don't get fingers pointed at them. That two men or two women can get married legally, and even adopt kids. Can you imagine? It sounds a bit crazy from where we're at. Of course, she did say there are still bigots who can't leave well enough alone, but it sounds so much better than all the prejudice we get today."

"Yeah, pal. But she's also from another reality or dimension or something. There's no guarantee the future she knows will be like the one we get."

Steve hummed thoughtfully. Bucky was right. It might not be the future they would have, but it was one he was hoping for, one with more tolerance and freedom. Chances they would see that future were pretty slim however, since they had a whole war to get through and then how many more decades?

"Maybe, but at least you know why she's so accepting. Don't worry so much, Buck. If she really minded you being so close, she'd probably turn you into a balloon like poor Morita. I'd better go save him. He looks a bit green around the gills."

Steve trotted off and caught the poor man's hand, pulling him down and preventing him from floating up again until the spell broke.

"That'll teach you not to nag," he told Morita who nodded emphatically and walked off on unsteady legs.

However, Hermione had overdone it a bit. He could understand, between her magic acting up, feeling like she couldn't be a proper leader, and the men acting like overgrown kids… but he still needed to have a word with her about it. Duty first though, he needed to see if anyone had found a map of the Hydra shipments to decide on their next target, and if not, go around the factory to look for it. Maybe he would find Hermione on his way, because she didn't seem to be out front with the rest.


	12. I Spy with my Little Eye

Steve froze in his study of the map Falsworth had found for him when he heard a gunshot. Just the one? No, there came another. He dropped what he was doing and ran out front. The freed prisoners loitering outside seemed not to have a clue as to what was going on, but he spotted Dum Dum looking out towards the western treeline and headed for him.

"Any idea what's going on?"

"Was hoping you did, Cap."

Falsworth, Dernier and Jones joined them. Morita, he knew, was resting inside on a couch that was more comfortable than anything they'd slept on lately.

"Where are Bucky and Hermione?"

The team shook their head in unison, and he cursed himself for a fool. Why had he put off looking for Hermione when he knew she was upset? The damn map could have waited.

"Where did you last see them?"

"Bucky was cleaning his rifle on the steps about… fifteen minutes ago?" Jones said.

"Dix," Dernier added with a nod.

Ten minutes then.

"What about Hermione? Anyone?"

"Last I saw, she was with you," Dum Dum said.

Except that had been at least half an hour ago. No one had a better answer to offer however. She had led Morita to the entrance of the factory where everyone was gathered and she must have been around for at least ten minutes after that while he and Bucky talked, closer to fifteen until her levitation spell broke, so she had still been around by then because she needed to be close by for it to work. In sum, in the last fifteen minutes, she had disappeared off somewhere. Same for Bucky but five minutes later, and with his rifle…

Steve made a strangled sound as he put the pieces together. Hermione was still a target for Schmidt. Maybe he'd sent men after his team to capture her, maybe a strike team had been lying in wait here. In the forest? No, or someone would have seen them approach. But maybe…

"Jones, Falsworth. I want a headcount on the prisoners. See if any have disappeared in the last fifteen minutes. Dum Dum, Dernier, with me."

He headed in the direction Dum Dum had been staring, glad he'd had the forethought to bring his shield with him. They had just made it a few feet into the woods when another shot rang, but this time they heard the strange woosh sound of a Hydra gun retaliating, followed by another gunshot.

"Cap! What's going on?" Dum Dum asked as he jogged next to him.

"I think Hydra captured Hermione and for some reason, Bucky went after them alone."

"Fuck! Really?"

"I hope I'm wrong."

"Ha! Jamais!" Dernier said.

Never? Oh, he'd been wrong before. Otherwise, this situation would not have happened. How could he just let Hermione wander around on her own when he knew from the horse's mouth that Schmidt had plans for her? Her magic didn't make her unbeatable, for God's sake. Hydra had even managed to capture her when she'd had her wand and a squad of men at her side. Now that she was without either, it must have been a piece of cake to subdue her. No new detonations of any sort sounded in the last few minutes and Steve didn't know what to make of it. They had to slow down, tread lightly and keep their eyes peeled.

"Là," Dernier whispered, pointing North and sure enough, Steve glimpsed the glow of a Hydra gun through the dark, gnarly trees.

Next to it, they found a man dressed like one of the prisoners, in a worn US army uniform. Whether he really was or not, they couldn't know for certain. Not yet at least, but he'd get to the bottom of this. The neat hole in the middle of his forehead was pure Bucky however. They followed that direction for a few minutes before Steve spotted another dead prisoner further down with a similar wound, his own weapon having tumbled downhill, and there, between the bushes and tree trunks, a very familiar blue coat.

"Bucky!" he called and ran downhill towards him.

Bucky's head swivelled around at his name. He was alright! Alive. Worried, too, because there in his arms was a very pale Hermione.

"What happened?" Steve asked, looking from one to the other.

He itched to cradle Hermione in his own arms but she looked comfortable where she lay and Steve was afraid he might hurt her if she had any injuries. For that matter, he wanted to hug Bucky too. For a moment there, he'd thought he'd lost them both again and it had been agony to even consider it.

"She fell," Bucky said in a bit of a daze as he waved towards the top of the hill. "Hit her head I think. And they must have given her something before that because she wasn't even defending herself."

"Ed?" Dernier asked as he pointed at Hermione's head.

Steve nodded and moved aside for the Frenchman to look her over. As a resistant, he was a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades and knew how to check for such things, even if they had to look for a real doc after his diagnosis when necessary to get the actual treatment. His fingers disappeared in her curls and Steve held his breath.

"No cut," Dernier said in his thick accent. "Just a leettle bump. And là," he pointed at a large needle mark on her neck which had swollen red. "Drugged. Know more when she up, but okay, yes?"

Steve nodded. Her being unconscious could as well be because of the drug as her fall, maybe even both combined. For now, it was better to head back to the factory and regroup. Stay together and be weary of the other prisoners too, just in case there were more Hydra spied hiding amongst them, especially since Phillips wouldn't arrive until the next morning to take them off their hands. Good thing they hadn't blown up the place so they had enough food, water and shelter to go around for the night.

"Bucky?" Steve asked, arms outstretched.

Bucky sighed, but shifted Hermione from his arms into his own before they headed back. Dum Dum and Bucky detoured only long enough to haul back the two dead Hydra prisoner-impersonators back to the base for the Colonel to I.D. when he got here. They wouldn't be moving until Hermione was up for it anyway.

When they returned, they kept a weary distance from the other released prisoners, not knowing who they could trust or not. Steve was glad he wouldn't be dealing with that particular mess. Spies were always going to be a part of any war, but Steve despised the underhandedness of it all, especially if it meant wearing your enemy's uniform and attacking a lone woman.

Having scoured the building in search of the map, Steve knew of a spacious bedroom with a large bed in the upper levels. Well out of the way too, and no doubt belonging to the person who had been in charge here. He settled Hermione on the deep red coverlet, grimacing when it made her appear even paler and as if she was lying in a pool of blood.

"They really have terrible taste, eh?" Bucky remarked as he stared down at her with a frown of his own. "I'll go help the guys disarm the prisoners and come back later with something to eat, alright?"

Steve nodded and forced a smile.

"Sounds good. Thanks Bucky," then he caught his arm before he could leave and pulled him in a hug. "And I'm glad you're alright. Had me scared for a moment there. Why the heck did you hare off on your own?"

Bucky mumbled something unintelligible against his shoulder, so Steve eased off on the hug.

"Fucking hell! Those muscles aren't just for show, are they? And to answer your question, I didn't think those two jerks were Hydra. I thought they were just off to bother a dame and I was gonna teach 'em a lesson, you know, like in the good ol' days. Course I would have called for backup if I'd known. I'm not an idiot."

Steve nodded and felt properly chastised for having doubted Bucky. He probably would have come to the same erroneous conclusion as Bucky if he'd seen two of their prisoners in allied uniforms stalking a woman, especially because she was the only one around.

"We need to keep a better eye on her," Steve said.

"Four eyes are better than two," Bucky agreed.

It was only then, looking down into his friend's steely blue eyes that he realized he was still half-hugging him. Bucky had always been very tactile, so he really shouldn't be surprised that he didn't shrug him off.

"You gonna hang on to me all night, buddy? Because dinner isn't going to bring itself and I'm pretty hungry," he said with his usual cheek.

Steve gave him one last squeeze, tight enough to make him yelp before he let him go with a laugh.

"Go on, then, you big baby."

"Jerk. I'll make sure to find you some beans for dinner."

Steve grimaced but he was hungry enough that he would eat a couple cans of the damn things if Bucky made good on his threat. In the meanwhile, he checked on Hermione, and since she only appeared to be sleeping off the drugs she'd been given, he walked into the adjacent bathroom. It was the biggest, most luxurious he'd ever seen and, when he realized he could keep an eye on Hermione from the shower, decided now was the perfect time to wash off the last couple of days of travel and battle.

A moan escaped him when the hot water hit his back. This was without a doubt much better than the basin of cold water he'd made do with in the last house they'd stayed at, and he felt like a new man when he reluctantly stepped out. He really didn't feel like putting his dirty uniform back on however so he neatly tied the large white towel he'd found around his hips and started shaving. They should think about using the Hydra bathrooms more often before blowing everything up in the future, but that wouldn't scare those nazi-zealots half as much.

 _There_ , he thought as he inspected his clean-shaven face once more, he looked more like his old safe. To think he couldn't even grow a moustache before and he was now fighting a losing battle against a full beard. He'd look like a bear soon enough though.

Finally, Steve returned to the bed and lay next to Hermione, only now realizing how exhausted he was. Might account for why she hadn't woken up yet either. They had just waged battle before she was kidnapped.

"Made yourself pretty for the lady?" Bucky asked from the doorway.

Steve would have hurled a pillow at him if his friend didn't have his hands full with the promised dinner, so Steve got up instead and helped him put everything down on the desk.

"What?" Steve asked defensively when he noticed Bucky's stare.

"I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you look like that now. You were so…" Bucky trailed off, gesturing with his hands how small and skinny he'd been.

"Yeah, well, I was lucky," he replied with a shrug. "I mean, you've seen Schmidt."

Steve gestured at his face. The Red Skull had really been something awful to uncover and it regularly made an appearance in his nightmares.

"Sure you don't have one of those under your face?"

"You can try pulling it off if you don't believe me."

Bucky took him at his word and pinched his cheek hard with a shit eating grin. Steve deflected his next attack and it soon turned into semi-serious sparring right up until they were interrupted by delighted giggles.

"Don't let me stop you," Hermione said with a fond smile as she waved towards them, but before she could say more, they were crowding her to ask how she felt.

"Like a flobberworm."

Bucky raised his eyebrows at him, but Steve could only shrug. It was hard to tell if that was a good or a bad thing, because it didn't make any sense and she still had a strange, dopey smile on her face. Bucky narrowed his eyes and peered more closely at her, tilting her chin up so he could see her eyes.

"She's still high. Whatever they gave her must have been good stuff. Ain't that right, doll?"

"You speak funny, Buck," she replied and giggled before pushing herself upright and off the bed despite their protests. "But you saved me from those… those…" she frowned as if she'd lost her train of thought, then threw her arms around Bucky to hug him. "Thank you, Bucky."

"See what I mean?" Bucky asked him, doing his best not to laugh as he held up her limp form. "Did she fall asleep again?"

Steve walked over to his side and she did have her eyes closed.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen anyone fall asleep standing before..."

Her eyes snapped open suddenly and he almost staggered back in surprise.

"Steeeeve," she crooned, letting go of Bucky to throw herself at him, doing a fair imitation of Bucky's friendly octopus. "Hmmm. You smell good," she said against his skin, then started rubbing her face against him.

Bucky was sniggering, but if Hermione didn't stop soon, he and his towel were going to have a disagreement about keeping parts of his anatomy covered. Fortunately, her face rub didn't last because something new caught her attention.

"Ooooh! A shower! I'm going to smell good too!"

"Is she just going to… ah, never mind. She is," Bucky muttered as Hermione undressed on her way to the bathroom, dropping her clothes on the floor as she went. He turned around. "So… this is weird."

"I guess we now know the real reason she doesn't get drunk," Steve agreed. "I better make sure she doesn't fall in the shower and hit her head again."

"You're just using that as an excuse to join her in the shower."

Steve's cheeks flamed. That really hadn't been his intention, but now that Bucky had put the idea in his head… No. Hermione was obviously not in her right state of mind and he would not take advantage of her like that.

"I'll just keep an eye on her from here. How about that dinner? Found any beans?"

Thankfully, he had not, and Hydra's larder was nothing to sneer at. The rest of the team were having a feast of their own downstairs and Steve was glad to have Bucky to himself because they chatted over dinner like they had done a thousand times before the war. Steve glanced now and then at his girl showering just a few feet away. He caught Bucky glancing at her too, but honestly, he couldn't blame him. She was _right there,_ it was hard _not_ to look, and Bucky was Bucky, might as well ask a fish not to swim. But at the same time, Steve knew he wouldn't tolerate such behaviour from one of the other guys. He was about to bite the bullet and ask Bucky about the "special" relationship the three of them had formed, even since the beginning, but he was interrupted just then by Jones' musical knock on the door.

"There's a situation, Cap. Not sure you can help, but we're at a bit of a loss."

Steve glanced at Bucky, then at the steam rolling out of the bathroom in waves.

"Take care of Hermione for me?" he asked and left before Bucky could object.

Maybe if he could give them a nudge towards each other, the tension he could feel running between their tight knit group would finally resolve itself.


	13. What is Normal Anyway?

When Steve returned, Hermione was sleeping again, wrapped in a fluffy towel like he had been before duty came knocking and he had to put his uniform back on. Bucky was clearing up the empty dishes with a puzzled frown, shooting glances at his girl now and then.

"Everything alright?" Steve asked.

Bucky dropped the plates and cringed as he checked he hadn't woken up Hermione, before scowling at him.

"Did they make you half-cat, too? Jeez, don't startle me like that."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to."

He had exceptional balance on top of everything else, and had to make an effort to be heard when he walked around.

"Hermione's fine. She ate and fell asleep a few minutes ago."

"Still dopey?"

Bucky nodded and looked away.

"I know that look. What did she do?" Steve needled, trying not to grin while he took his boots off again to join Hermione in bed.

"You don't want to know."

"'course I do. Has to be funny when she's in that state."

Bucky gave him a dubious look, mouth twisted before he gave in.

"She said she loved me."

Steve waited for something akin to jealousy to hit him, but he was comforted in what he had been thinking all along: the three of them belonged together.

"You don't seem happy about it," Steve said, because he'd been so sure of Buck's feeling for her, at least, and hopefully for him too.

Bucky narrowed his eyes at him.

"You don't seem angry about it," he shot back. "Anyway, she said it like you say you love ice cream, or a dog, y'know? She even patted my head."

"Oh."

"Oh? That's all? I expected more of a reaction, or are you two… you two didn't break up or something, right?"

Steve shook his head and patted the bed next to him so Bucky would stop pacing all over the place. He huffed, but sat down.

"No, we're fine. More than fine. But you know we love you too, right?"

"Yeah, but that's different."

Bucky seemed sure of himself, as if it could never be any other way. Steve hesitated once more, but in for a penny...

"Does it have to be? Can't we just love you the same way we love each other?"

"But that's not… normal?"

Steve sighed. Maybe he would have thought the same, once upon a time. But along came Hermione, the super-serum and all the changes that came with it, and the war, the blood, the death, the violence... It was destroying what he had been, putting things into perspective, changing what he thought he'd once known of the world... especially when he thought he had lost his two sergeants. But not for the worse, he didn't think. These past months were shaping him into someone who lived and loved more fiercely than ever before.

"There's nothing normal about any of this, Buck. I'm a lab experiment, Hermione's not even from this world, we're fighting nazis with space guns in a world wide war... What could possibly be so wrong about loving someone?"

Bucky had no counter argument. Or at least, he opened his mouth as if to speak a couple of times, then thought better of it, and shook his head.

"Just kiss already," Hermione mumbled from behind Steve. "Or do I have to show you kids how it's done?"

Steve laughed at hearing Hermione fling Bucky's teasing words right back in his face. He too chuckled once he got passed the surprise.

"Okay, I deserved that," Bucky said. "But I don't know… Can I think about it?"

Hermione mumbled something indistinct from under her hair while Steve nodded. Bucky hadn't brushed him off, or been angry at what he was suggesting, which had been his biggest fear. He knew Buck wouldn't rat him out to the authorities. They had been friends for years. They even knew of a real queer in their neighbourhood because he'd made a pass at Steve once, and even if Bucky had threatened to punch his teeth in, he'd never talked about denouncing him to the police. Coming from his own childhood friend though, Bucky could have been disgusted or kept his distance from then on out, but no, he'd simply asked to think on it... so he was actually considering it. Steve's heart skipped a beat at the thought. His attention returned to the two people who meant so much to him. Bucky had dug Hermione's face from under her wild curls, asking if she was feeling better.

"Food helped," she muttered. "Head still... you know," she finished with her index finger twirling right in front of Bucky's nose, making him go cross-eyed. "I'll make them pay for that."

Steve smiled fondly at them.

"Sleep will help too. We have the last shifts on watch duty, Buck, so we'd better catch some shuteye now. You're exempt, Hermione. So is Morita, since we'll be back on the road again tomorrow and need you two on your feet."

Bucky groaned and Hermione's hand stopped twirling drunkenly to pat his dark hair head. Buck then looked at him with a see-what-I-mean expression that made him chuckle.

Sleep sneaked up on them without another word. Yet, Steve woke up a few minutes before it was time for him to relieve whoever was on watch. On top of everything else, his body had acquired an in-built Swiss-clock more precise than any watch he'd ever owned. He reluctantly pushed Hermione away from him to slip out of bed, but by the time he'd put his boots on, she had turned around and latched onto Bucky. They looked so peaceful, his heart mellowed into a puddle of goo at the sight of them. He knew he would do just about anything for them. Forcing himself to look away, he exited the large bedroom without a sound, and found Falsworth patrolling.

"All clear?"

The Brit gave a sharp nod.

"I was surprised there was a second group of Hydra spies amongst the prisoners, but I doubt there will be a third."

"Can't be too careful.," Steve replied. "What's Jacques always saying? Jamay de sand twa?"

"Indeed. And your French is just as horrendous as his English. How is our Lady faring?"

"The drug she was injected was pretty strong, but I think she'll be back on her feet by the time the Colonel gets here."

"He'll know Hydra is after her."

Steve glanced at Falsworth, but his blank expression gave nothing away. The man was too smart by half which is why Steve consulted with him for most of the strategy. Yet, he wondered if Falsworth thought Hermione was making their group too much of a target. Steve only nodded at the other man's conclusion, hoping his own face was not giving anything away.

Falsworth broke into a smile, his mustache twitching, before he spoke again.

"Or we could omit who they were after _specifically_."

"So... just after any one of us to sabotage our team?"

"Sounds believable. Phillips will not pull the whole team out..."

But he would have no qualms about pulling out the only woman on the team, for her own safety and that of the team, of course. It was not said, but heavily implied and something Steve had worried about ever since she had been kidnapped. There were too many witnesses and dead bodies to hide the evidence from the Colonel, but a little misdirection was possible.

"It's risky," Steve warned. "If he finds out we willfully lied to him…"

"He won't. The others agree and Hermione is much too useful to be locked away somewhere."

Steve snorted.

"I'd like to see them try."

Falsworth smirked.

"I pity the fool who does."

Steve knew the Colonel did not get to where he was by being an idiot, not whilst still being alive, but with his whole team serving him the same story that Hydra spies were targeting any and all of them, not one in particular, he couldn't very well call them out on it. That was the Colonel's problem with having such a tight knit group under his command. On the other hand, that was his _only_ problem with them. As Falsworth predicted, Phillips let them go with a mere admonishment to always stay in pairs to avoid another such incident. A measure they had already put in place, but Steve nodded and saluted, ready to leave off at the soonest before the man changed his mind.

He found Hermione chatting with Peggy while the agent was piling parcels into her arms. He was glad Hermione had made herself a lady friend. He sometimes worried about having dragged her into a group composed exclusively of men, having only them for company for days on end, sometimes weeks, but she'd sworn she was quite used to it.

"Need a hand?" he asked, offering his arms to take the parcels.

"It's fine. It isn't heavy," Hermione assured him.

"It's lady things," Peggy added in a stage whisper.

Steve blushed and dropped his arms.

"You're right. He is cute when he blushes," Peggy said with a wicked smile. "But I do have mail and toiletries as well as a spare uniform for everyone if you don't mind delivering them for me.

"Sure, I'll stash them on the jeep and we'll sort through them tonight. Gabe just caught a Hydra movement on the radio so we'll be leaving as soon as we've resupplied."

"Sounds a bit… coincidental," Peggy said.

Hermione was frowning too at the news. Steve nodded.

"The Colonel thinks so too, but it's too good to pass up on the off chance it is a trap. Worse case scenario, we cut down their numbers. I think they're still underestimating us, despite getting the upper hand every single time over them."

"Typical villains," Hermione agreed.

They walked to the back of the jeeps in silence until Hermione apologized out of the blue.

"I don't remember everything, but I know I did, and said, a lot of stupid things last night. I did the one and only time I got drunk off my rocker anyway. Or so I'm told."

"No. It was cute, really. And it was just me and Bucky there so you have nothing to worry about. Actually…" He gave Hermione a searching look. He was pretty sure he was right, but he really should have talked about it more in detail with Hermione since they had only hinted before at Bucky being more than a friend. "I might have done something stupid and I didn't have the excuse of being under the influence."

"You? Really?"

"I told Bucky we love him."

"Well, yeah, we do."

"I also asked him if he wanted to be… uhm… well… more?"

Hermione's eyes widened. Had he been wrong after all?

"That's really forward thinking of you. How did Bucky take it?"

"Wait, you _are_ alright with it, right? We should have talked about it before, but you told Bucky you loved him and then we were talking and I-"

Her finger came to rest on his lips, cutting him off. He was babbling. He always did when he was nervous.

"It's fine. I thought this might happen, but... further down the line. Is Bucky alright? He's not acting weird again, is he?"

Steve chuckled in relief and kissed her finger, before glancing around in alarm. He'd almost forgotten the Colonel was around.

"He said he'd think about it."

"That's good, then. Maybe we'll finally get him to sleep in the middle for a change. Bloke needs more hugs, he's been quite moody for a while. I think there's something he's not telling us."

Sleeve nodded. It was difficult not to notice Buck wasn't the happy-go-lucky guy who had left New York, but that was war in a nutshell. None of the boys who had left would return the same.

"You haven't told us everything either. No, no, I'm not saying you should, but you can understand better what he's going through. Maybe you can help where I can't."

Hermione promised to try and that was all he could really ask.

Once they approached the small Hydra convoy, they all had widely different ideas about how to deal with it. A rarity, because they didn't usually argue plans, although he was always open to advice. This time was different, however. If it was an ambush, their aim was to make a grab for Hermione, for sure, so it stood to reason she should sit this one out on the sidelines, and not take unnecessary risks, or make them take unnecessary risks to protect her.

"So you're saying I'm a burden?"

"No!" he exclaimed, because she always pulled her own weight, and that wasn't easy being the only woman on the team.

"You kinda did, pal," Bucky said and several others nodded.

"He's right though," Dum Dum argued. "We walk into their ambush or ambush them, and they will go straight for you, Lady, at any cost. We've seen how fanatic they are. Suicide missions are a given."

"What if you leave me behind and they expect it and nab me while you're busy with their fake ambush, hu?"

"Yes, well, we won't leave you behind on your own, obviously."

"Oh. So you want to attack them with only half our numbers while the other half is _babysitting_?"

Dum Dum huffed and threw his hands in the air in aggravation.

"Maybe you should have stayed with Colonel Phillips after all."

Hermione gave him a hurt look.

"And the next time too? And the next? What if they target the Captain, next? Will you leave him behind too?"

An uneasy silence settled over the team. They all knew they wouldn't do _that_ , but none of them was brave enough to admit it, nor the reason why.

"Alright then, it's settled," she decided. "And I happen to have the perfect idea so I'm not a target. It will give us an element of surprise over them, too. Morita, this is your moment to shine!"

Hermione pulled the poor guy towards the back of the jeep with no idea of what was going on, but they soon heard him protest quite emphatically. Then rapid fire arguments came from Hermione, no doubt confusing the hell out of Morita. Ten minutes later, Hermione returned dressed as Morita, only cleaner. His spare uniform, Steve realized with dawning comprehension, and sure enough Morita appeared right behind her wearing her uniform.

"They'll be surprised sure enough," Bucky chuckled.

"Hey, don't you get handsy," Morita warned, pointing a finger at Buck. "Nor you," he added turning his glare and finger towards him.

"It honestly wouldn't have crossed my mind," Steve said. "I'm not sure they're going to fall for this."

"Yeah, you make for one ugly woman, Jimmy!"

The team ribbed him good-naturally and it wasn't until Hermione had pulled the hood over Morita that he thought this might actually work. Hermione, on the other hand, was oddly appealing in the other man's uniform. Her preference had always leaned towards practical clothes, and Morita's cap helped hide her own features and hair. Yep, this might just work. Her subterfuge was going to throw those Hydra idiots in for a loop.

The last communication Gabe intercepted were so clear, they had to be nearby their target. They decided to continue on foot so their vehicles wouldn't give away their position. If only they could get the drop on them, it would be perfect. Steve preferred storming a base by far. It might be bigger, have more defenses, and men, but at least it waited there for them, like a plump fruit waiting to be picked. Not knowing who was going to attack first, or when, was making him antsy.

Steve froze and raised a fist, stopping the team at his back before they all went belly down on the ground. It had been brief, but he had seen movement. He pointed at his eyes then at roughly ten o'clock through a crop of trees in the nearby woods. Bucky nodded and checked through the scope of his rifle, his fingers calling the number and position of their targets. About a dozen that he could see, but there were no doubt more lying in wait. Hydra was treacherous by nature, but for an ambush, they were poorly hidden and surprisingly disorganized. Had they been wrong all along? Had they overestimated Hydra? Given their current position, they could simply take them out from afar using Bucky's sharpshooter skills and Hermione's magic. The rest of them could then pick off those who made it too close. It almost seemed… too easy. Everyone agreed with the plan though. They crept deeper into the woods for added cover and Bucky chose a tree Hermione helped him up in. They all hid around his position while he started picking them off, one by one, each shot signing the end to one more Hydra fanatic. Three, four, then shouts began to echo around the woods and gunfire was returned in kind. They all leaned in then, gun and shield and magic. If they hadn't been Hydra, Steve would pity them, the way they were being steamrolled by his team like ants beneath a boot, right up until the point where the ant bit back.

Steve grunted as he fell against the tree giving him cover. He clamped a hand over the shoulder that had been hit… from behind. Damnit. Where had _these_ guys come from?

"Dum Dum! Jacques! Gabe! Behind you!"

They held their fire only long enough to turn around. Hell was being unleashed on all sides after that. Soldiers surrounded them on all sides. Those in view had only been bait and they'd walked right into the ambush after all, and now, the net was closing in around them. How could he have been so stupid?

Sensing opposition was stronger on their left flank now that Jacques had created quite a bloodbath at their back with his grenades, Steve directed Hermione's powers over there.

"It's not working!" Hermione called back.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I can't lift them. I think they tethered themselves."

Well… dang it! They were getting smarter. And at the rate they were advancing, his team would get swarmed in a few minutes. Bucky was already too busy judging by the rate he was shooting at. Where the heck were they coming from?

Steve threw his shield, gritting his teeth through the pain of the bullet lodged in his shoulder. The vibranium sang as it sliced through the cold wind and knocked out two more soldiers before ricocheting back his way. But it wasn't enough. One nazi went down and two took his place, until they were fighting in close quarters and they made a grab for Morita. He in turn used his trusty greaser gun to put them down, which they had obviously not expected from Lady Liberty. Dum Dum then took care of the next wave with his two shotguns. Hermione was largely ignored dressed as Morita, but she finally drew attention on her when she had to levitate grenades thrown her way back at the enemy. German shouts rang throughout the woods and Hydra soldiers were now focusing on her.

"Hide!" he ordered her as he tried to fight his way towards her.

"But-"

"Do it!"

Thank God she had kept training her self-levitating. It was a bit wobbly, and slow, but she flew up and disappeared in the pine branches. Relieved he didn't have to worry about her being taken again, he focused on the fight, crushing one soldier after another. Falsworth was hit next, but it couldn't have been too bad because he managed to take cover before collapsing. One down, one in hiding and one out of ammo if he could believe Bucky's silent rifle. Steve hoped that was all it was, but it was still a big blow when they were so largely outnumbered. Jacques threw himself down next to him with the others in tow.

"Un ange passe," he said with a grin.

Steve puzzled over what angels had to do with anything when grenades started falling around them. Blasts detonated close enough to cover them in dirt and make their ears ring, but far enough they were safe from harm. The detonations continued to shake the ground in an ever growing circle, until the woods were as silent as a graveyard. Hermione then dropped in their midst, holding the Frenchman's empty bag. Jacques's face dropped at the sight of it.

"You owe me, mademoiselle," he scolded her.

"I'll ask Stark to send you new toys, Jacques." Steve picked himself off the ground, dusting off his uniform. We should do a perimeter check."

" _You_ should get yourself sorted out," Bucky said, glancing pointedly at his bloody sleeve. "Jacques, can you tend to Falsworth? I'll take care of this big lump. Those of you who aren't injured, do what Cap said."

Dum Dum saluted mockingly, but everyone went their own way. Even Hermione, despite her looking a bit green around the gills and like she'd rather take care of him herself.

"Sit," Bucky ordered.

Steve obeyed, feeling like the times he'd come back home from an alley brawl, only to find word had already reached Bucky. He would be waiting for him with his first aid kit and a scowl on his face. Steve shouldn't have enjoyed those moments. The rubbing alcohol always stung worse than the cuts, and Bucky's lectures stung worse that the rubbing alcohol, but Steve knew it meant he cared enough to bother. Just like now.

Steve winced when he moved his shoulder to unzip the top of his uniform, so Bucky swatted his hand away.

"Let me do it," he muttered, reaching for the zipper.

He slowly pulled it down, then peeled the right side off his arm, exposing where he had been hit. Bucky walked around him and whistled low.

"How can you even move your arm?"

"It hurts," Steve said with a shrug, regretting the motion immediately.

Bucky chuckled.

"You haven't changed one bit, have you? You're one stubborn son of a gun."

"Hey! That's my Ma you're talking about."

"Just proving my point, buddy. Okay, take a deep breath, this is gonna hurt worse for a bit before it gets better."

Steve did, but in all honesty, nothing would ever be as painful as what he had experienced during his transformation in the coffin. Once Bucky had removed the bullet though, he immediately felt better. The little bugger must have lodged itself in just the wrong place. The rubbing alcohol still stung, and Bucky still knew how to scold him good for not watching his six, but Steve basked in the moment, in the bitter-sweet taste of home.

"Done. You can get dressed now… unless you need my help?"

Steve froze, because he knew that tone of voice. His eyes too. Bucky was giving him the smoulder, and he could see why so many ladies fell for it. And yet, Steve didn't know whether he was ribbing him, or if he had seriously considered becoming a part of their couple.

Steve was the one who had started all this, but he had no clue how to go about it, so he made a note to himself to ask Hermione if this "arrangement" was something common in the future.

"Maybe some other time, Buck." He squeezed his hand that had lingered over his shoulder. "We're still in the middle of a Hydra trap, remember? Even if our girl did blow most of it up."

The smile Bucky gave him was so much more like his old self, Steve thought everything might turn out okay in the end.


	14. Malgré Nous

"I guess they're not as stupid as they look," Dum Dum said as he held up one of the trap doors leading down into an underground bunker.

Even the trapdoors had been camouflaged with leaves, dirt, ferns, and even whole shrubs for crying out loud. No wonder they'd walked right passed their goddamn trap without a clue and Steve would call himself impressed if he didn't hate the fuckers so much. They could have lost everything here if they weren't so used to working together. Steve was furious with himself. Here he'd thought Hydra were underestimating them, when really, he had been the one underestimating them. The whole thing would be a good reminder not to let their victories go to his head. The underground bunker, at least six of them that they had found, were nothing more than small hidden places hastily dug into the hard earth of the forest. Rocks and long, gnarly tree roots poking out of the uneven walls.

"Sure went to a lot of trouble to surprise us," Bucky said when he climbed back out of one.

"Know how to make a _lady_ feel special, right?" Morita quipped.

"Not sure if you're serious or just making a terrible pun," Hermione replied. "But if you really like my clothes that much, you're welcome to them."

"I don't!"

"You're still wearing them is all I'm saying."

"Lady has a point, Jimmy," Dum Dum waggled his eyebrows at him. "But if you want to feel _real_ special…"

"Oh, go fuck yourself, Dummy. Can someone please switch tents with me? I'm not going to get any shut eye tonight with that horny bastard breathing down my neck."

Steve rolled his eyes at all the drama. He got that they needed to blow off steam after the battle, but they weren't out of the woods yet, neither literally nor figuratively.

"If we're lucky, we'll find a place to stay. See if you guys can scavenge grenades for Jacques before we leave."

No doubt in good spirit because of his bulging bag of exploding devices, Jacques found them an in with a mixed group of local Belgian and French resistants close to the frontier a couple of days later. It was a welcome reprieve from the barren lands they'd just come through. However, it seemed their reputation had preceded them because they were welcomed with open arms and sometimes by name. There were even a couple of small kids there who apparently wanted to piggyback ride him as if he was the living embodiment of the Cyclone ride on Coney Island. Steve could hardly refuse when he learned they were orphaned by the war, and he made extra sure they had as much fun as possible. He loved hearing them giggle and snort like little piggies, but he had to pretend they had tired him out when the smaller one, Claude, got the hiccups from laughing too much. Hermione who had been lounging against Bucky, both laughing at his predicament, came to his rescue by making the little girl's doll float in the air instead, which kept them distracted enough as they tried to catch it. Meanwhile the resistance shared their information on German troop movements in the area. One of them in particular knew both the SS and Wehrmacht upcoming missions in suspicious detail.

"Complicated," Jacques said when Steve asked him about how they got their intel. "No angry, okay? Marcel here was one of them a few days ago."

Several of his men shot up to their feet, reaching for their weapons. Steve urged Jacques on, but pressuring him like that always made him go full French.

"Ce n'est pas sa faute. Il est Alsacien et a été forcé de rejoindre l'armée Allemande…"

"It's not his fault," Hermione began translating while Jacques gesticulated angrily as he spoke in rapid fire French. "He's Alsatian, forced to incorporate the German Army so they wouldn't deport his family, but he just learned they were sent to a working camp anyway, so he defected to find and liberate them. Wait up, Jacques. You're speaking too fast," she huffed. "Marcel gathered all the information he could before joining the resistance, at great personal risk. Many people around here will shoot a… Oh."

"What?" Steve urged.

"A Malgrés-nous. It means against our will." She lowered her voice, turning her back on Jacques so only he could hear. "He's legit, I read about them in history books. It doesn't end well for most of them, even after the war."

"So we can trust him?"

Hermione hesitated, glancing at the man in question. Steve had to admit he did look miserable to a point that would be hard to fake, but nazis were sneaky bastards who would stoop to any low.

"Well, a minority of men from Alsace-Lorraine did volunteer of their own free will, but unless we find this man's family in a forced-labour camp, it's going to be difficult to prove which category Marcel belongs to and if his intel can be trusted."

Of course nothing could ever be simple or clear cut, but the resistance had taken the man in and _they_ were a suspicious lot if he ever met one. They even let him near the kids, so they had to be trusting him for some reason.

"Can anyone here vouch for him?" he turned to ask Jacques.

He in turn asked one of the French resistants who nodded and ran off, returning a few minutes later with a woman he'd seen on look-out duties on their way in, her rifle still stung over her back. She scowled at him, but looked at the defector with such loathing, Steve thought for sure she couldn't possibly be here to vouch for him. She began speaking, but Hermione wasn't translating, just stared at the other woman with wide eyes, so he gently nudged her.

"Sorry." She blushed, a rare feat in itself. "I don't think I can translate that. It's… uhm… insults, mostly."

Jacques chuckled.

"Very graphic."

"Sum of it: Marcel married her sister and she blames him for getting her and her kids deported, but she very reluctantly vouches for him because he's too much of a… erm… coward and… idiot… to be a spy."

Steve nodded. That was good enough for him. They would pass on most of that intel to the Colonel since it wasn't strictly Hydra-related, but the movement of large crates in big numbers, on the other hand, might be what they had been looking for. With Marcel's help, they were able to find the point of origin and the direction the convoy was taking, giving them a much better idea of where Schmidt's secret base must be located.

They were not in the right region however and it was going to take days, maybe weeks to get to the general area, unless they parachuted. He could double up with Hermione, and someone might have to double with Morita too. But if they chose that method, they would have minimal gear and be cut off from supply… Running a hand through his hair, Steve put off making a decision. He would have to run it by Phillips anyway.

Dinner was good given it was made with so little, and Steve felt bad about taking their food, especially with the two skinny kids devouring their own bowl in record time. He didn't want to be rude either so he said nothing and decided they would conveniently leave one of their own boxes of cans behind when they left. They had been very useful after all, it was the least they could do.

Not a fan of their sleeping quarters though: a large room with bunk beds stuffed against each wall.

"Feels like boot camp all over again," Morita muttered and claimed a bottom bed for himself. "Anyone tries to sleep on top will get himself a brand new arsehole. Except you, Lady. You're okay."

"I think I'll pass, thanks." Unsurprisingly, she took the bottom bed next to his. "Jim? Turn around. I'd much rather smell your morning breath than your feet."

While they got settled, Steve dismissed her top bunk since he doubted it would hold his weight, leaving it to Bucky and choosing the next bottom one over. The last bottom bunk going to Dum Dum for the same reason.

"Well, this is cosy," Falsworth said with his usual deadpan sarcasm. "No wonder your General de Gaulle is staying with us in good old England."

A pillow flew through the air, hitting its mark judging by the posh grunt of surprise.

"Yes, but your beer iz hot piss and your food iz merdique."

"Translation?"

"Shite," Hermione and Gabe said in unison. "He's not wrong," the latter continued. "But nothing beats a burger. I'd kill for a burger."

"I'd kill for an apple pie."

"And fresh coffee."

The list got more and more bizarre, especially when Falsworth mentioned something called "crumpets", but Steve couldn't help but notice he, Bucky and Hermione were the only ones silent in the matter. He didn't really need anything, Hermione probably just wanted her wand more than anything else in the world, and Bucky… well, that was a mystery. He got these quiet moments when he looked so serious and brooding no one dared interrupt him. Hermione still hadn't managed to get through to him, even though she was the only one who knew what it was to be in the hands of that demented doctor.

The next morning, everyone woke up to Morita's shrill scream.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Bucky growled in his face.

"Me? What about you? I expected to wake up seeing a beautiful lady, not your ugly mug."

Sure enough, Buck had made his way into Hermione's bed sometime during the night, which explained the lack of nightmares he'd been expecting from them, even if it made the situation a bit awkward this morning.

"I was cold," Hermione said flatly, despite it being well into spring now and them having slept through much cooler temperatures before.

Bucky was stone faced and the others shrugged before getting their things together, ready to start on another day of Hydra hurting. But Steve's gaze lingered, noting Bucky's relief and the way he hugged Hermione in gratitude. Nightmares it was, then. With a sigh, he sat up and walked over to them.

"You should have woken me up."

"You were sleeping like a baby," Bucky muttered.

"An adorable baby. You were drooling too," Hermione added before hugging his middle. Steve hastily wiped his face with one hand, but was pretty sure they were having him on. Bucky brushed off his concern, as usual, which still stung a little but he'd give it time if that was all he could do.

And they had time aplenty while they headed East on the Colonel's orders. No matter how hard they stomped down on Hydra, the cockroach that it was always popped out somewhere else, as if there was some truth to their stupid motto of cutting one head off for two more to take its place. It was a game of cat and mouse where he wasn't always sure who was chasing who, or who was even winning, if any. He wasn't the only one to feel the tedium of it, which made them careless and eventually wounded.

"According to your last reports, half your team is down," Phillips shouted over their com. It wasn't as bad as he made it sound, it was only a few grazes and the sniffles from the very rainy spring. They'd known worse. "You're no closer to finding Schmidt's base of operations and you have no more leads. We're pulling you guys out. You'll take a damn break even if it kills you."

The news was received with mixed feelings. The sentiment of failure battling with overall exhaustion, but orders were orders, so they all boarded a cargo plane, belted in against the vibrating fuselage with the roar of the engines in there ears, and yet, they all slept like logs all the way back to London.

"Wakey, wakey." The clapping of hands is what really woke them up though, but it was worth it to see Peggy standing there with a welcoming smile. "Aren't you a sorry lot. Come on, I want all of you in the infirmary for check up!"

A chorus of groggy protests rose over the din of the heavy rain whipping the plane and tarmac.

"So it's true, it's always raining in England," Dum Dum said while Gabe sneezed loudly.

"Bless you," Peggy said and handed him her umbrella. "The sooner you do it, the sooner you'll be out. Building 2A, straight ahead. Don't worry about the rain, you'll hit the showers as soon as you enter. Hermione, you're with me."

Steve nodded at Peggy gratefully and walked out with Bucky while Hermione was cursing the buckles she had somehow managed to get her curls tangled into. Knowing Peggy, she was probably going to cut right through the belts to set her free. Steve trusted her to take care of his girl while he kept an eye on Bucky. He'd seemed happy to go to London, but completely shut down at the mention of the infirmary, so he thought it might be because of what the Hydra doctor had done to him. In any case, he wasn't letting him out of his sight.

As he'd feared, communal showers. He wasn't surprised, there was no such thing as privacy in the army, but he still hated them, even looking like he did now. Very useful to keep an eye on Buck though, even if it was difficult not to get an eyeful. Bucky himself wasn't being so coy and was _staring_ , but he supposed he would too in his stead after how much he'd changed. Steve knew he was blushing, but he raised his eyebrows in challenge and Bucky smirked. He knew full well what he was doing, the little punk. Fortunately, everyone filed out to the next room, so it didn't look like he was fleeing. That was _not_ the impression he wanted to give at all.

"Here," Bucky said, handing him one of the towels. "You're making all of us feel inadequate."

"Speak for yourself, Barns. I've never had any complaints," Dum Dum said.

"Why do we have to go through this?" Morita whined. "It's fucking freezing. I just wanted a nice, warm bed getting here. Was that too much to ask?"

"We've been crawling through Hydra's secret bases for months," Falsworth replied placidly. "You really think they're just going to release us amongst civilian population without checking we haven't been contaminated by one of their bizarre lab experiments."

"I think I'd know if I had smallpox or something." Morita looked at the others and Gabe sneezed again. "Right?"

"Thanks, Falsworth," Bucky snarled. "We're all feeling a whole lot better now."

Steve slung an arm over his shoulder because tense as he was right now, he wouldn't have been surprised if Bucky resorted to fists to settle the matter

"Don't listen to him, Buck. It's just procedure, and it's a good thing too, because we've been patching each other up these last months and Gabe obviously needs some medication for his cold."

"Do nob," Gabe muttered, his nose dripping.

"Gotta admit I'm not feeling so hot," Morita said and he did look kind of pale, but Steve thought that had just been from having a good scrub with actual soap and hot water. Morita glared at Gabe. "I blame you."

"Be? Jacques wab coubhing well bebore be."

"What? I can't hear you through all the snot."

"Wait," Steve said. "Is there anyone here who isn't feeling sick?"

Only Dum Dum and Bucky raised a hand. They all looked at Falsworth in surprise.

"I thought you were a robot," Morita told him, earning himself an eye-roll from the British man.

"Just because I don't whine about it…"

A nurse walked in and beckoned them to follow while Steve wondered if they would actually be able to enjoy the city. How had he not noticed all of them getting sick? Had he been so obsessed chasing after Schmidt that he hadn't paid enough attention to his men? Had he pushed them too hard? And what about Hermione?

He caught a passing nurse to ask her, but she very pointedly told him she couldn't disclose personal information outside of family.

"She has no family," he snapped. "She only has us."

The nurse shrugged.

"Just following protocol. The doctor will see you now."

In the end, only he and Buck were cleared to go. Dum Dum, as it turned out, was running a fever, even if he said he felt fine, but he said the same when he got grazed by a bullet so he should have known better.

Hermione was out for the count as well and was already asleep in one of the infirmary's beds by the time they were allowed to visit.

"Did I ask too much of you guys? Should I have asked for leave sooner?" Steve asked Bucky.

"Hey, no pal. It's not like that. If we'd wanted a break, don't you think we would have asked for one? We all wanted to keep going before winter set in."

Bucky stepped closer, put a hand on his arm.

"She'll be fine. The others too. You heard the doc, it's just a bad cold and they're only keeping them so it doesn't get worse. You remember what it's like."

Steve did. It was so easy to get a chill and end up near death with a bad case of pneumonia. He didn't want that to happen to any of his friends. Just because he couldn't get sick anymore… Jeez, he was a _terrible_ leader.

"Come on, Stevie. Cheer up. The others will give us flack if they learn we just moped about their sick beds instead of enjoying the city."

"I know, I know. I just don't really feel like it."

Bucky leaned closer, his head resting against his bicep.

"I think I have an idea that'll cheer everyone up," he said and pulled him away by the arm from Hermione's bed.

Steve had no idea what he was on about, but he had his old smile back, the one that always melted his heart and made him promise anything, even not to fight bullies in back alleys, not that he could always help it, but he tried at least. So he followed Buck around London, a bit confused at first, until he realized he was buying every single item the guys had been talking about missing that night in the resistance hidey hole, even the crumpets, which, it turned out, was some sort of small pancake full of holes.

"What should we get Hermione? She never asks for anything."

"Tea," Steve said instantly, not even having to give it a second thought.

She never asked and had stopped looking for any a long time ago, but she did bemoan the fact with Falsworth on many a cold night. When they left the shop, they probably brought enough that she'd be able to bath in it if she wanted to, but it was nice to splurge for once, both on their girl and their friends. God knew they all deserved it.

When they returned to Hermione's room, his heart skipped a beat at finding her bed empty, because in his experience, that was never good news. He stopped a nurse strolling by who told them with a sour look that _she_ was slumming it in the men's room, implying she was some sort of harlot or something. For a moment there, Steve thought Bucky was going to slug the woman, but he seemed content to see her flinch back when he snarled at her. Steve gave her his most disappointed look and ran after Bucky who had stalked down the hall towards the men's ward, the packages stacked high in his arms wobbling dangerously. He kicked the doors open since his hands were busy and everyone froze.

"Whab be-"

"Fucking hell?"

"Cap? Buck? That you hiding behind those packages?"

"Ho, ho, ho. No, you dimwits. It's Santa fucking Claus," Bucky muttered.

"Sorry to break it to ya, Barns, but it's not even close to Christmas."

"Yeah and we missed the fat man last time around, so merry fucking Christmas to you all."

Steve chuckled at Bucky's grumpy Father Christmas impression and dropped everything on the closest bed. Leave it to Bucky to sound like he had been dragged into this when he'd been the one to organize it all. He'd always been too generous by half. Everyone seemed to cheer up instantly, and Hermione jumped in Bucky's arms when he handed her the tea.

"Catnip," Morita laughed.

In this case, it probably applied to Bucky as much as the tea.

It took three days for most everyone to be cleared, except for Gabe and Hermione who had it worse than the others. Steve and Bucky stayed with them during all that time, running errands, distracting them or just wiping their foreheads when the fever hit too hard. Bucky tried to hide how worried he got when Hermione slept too long, face flushed and sweating like she'd been running, but Steve knew that expression too well from the times he'd taken care of him. Guy was a real mother hen when be wanted to be and all his newfound grumpiness could not convince the team otherwise now. Steve was glad everyone saw past it. Even after everything, even after Bucky had lost his easy smile and outgoing personality, people still gravitated around him like moths to a flame. It made him hope everything would be alright for him in the future, that whatever Hydra had done to him, they hadn't managed to destroy the core of him.


	15. True Colours

"So, what should we do?" Steve asked as the four of them finally walked out of the army base.

The cold had been just a cold, thank God. He had began to worry when it lingered, that maybe they had touched something innocent looking in a Hydra base, something that didn't show up in the blood tests, something that he was immune to thanks to the Super-soldier Serum and that Bucky had been lucky enough to slip through.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm dying for a beer," Gabe said.

"Yeah, we tried sneaking some in, but the dragon-nurse caught us," Bucky muttered. "Bet she drank them all herself. Breathing fire down our necks all the time must have given her quite the thirst."

"You're just sore because she's the first and only woman immune to your wiles, Buck," Hermione teased.

"Aha. So you admit they work on you!"

"She doesn't count. She's one of the guys," Gabe cut in, earning himself a hard shove from Bucky while Steve laughed at such a blunt statement.

He knew Hermione wouldn't mind and probably considered herself one of the guys too, but Bucky was always overly protective of her. Honestly, it was cute coming from a man who had always been a bit of a cad towards the dames. None of them were paying attention to where they were going as they argued and hired around, so Steve was the one to apologize to the little guy selling newspapers when he got knocked aside in the scuffle, not thinking much of it until the kid's eyes grew wider and wider, flitting from one of them to the other. Steve glanced at the front page from which familiar faces stared back at him and bought a couple papers, giving the boy an extra coin for his trouble. The gap toothed kid grinned wide and ran off, excitedly calling some other boy's name.

Chuckling, Steve tucked the papers beneath his arm and herded the others towards a nearby pub that looked to still be in business despite the dark windows, hoping to get out of sight before they drew a crowd. The enforced blackout made the big city look like a ghost town most of the time, but music drifted from the inside of the establishment. Gabe suddenly stopped at the door, Bucky walking right into his back.

"Yer gettin' on my nerves, Jones. What's the matter now?"

Gabe pointed at a handwritten sign nailed next to the door, in bold, black letters.

ALL COLOURS WELCOME, EVEN WHITE

"Ha," Steve chuckled. "The Brits and their sense of humour. Look at the next one."

Steve pointed at the café across the street that had a similar sign hanging on a nail, and Gabe went to investigate.

I'M COLOURBLIND ANYWAY, MIGHT AS WELL ALL COME IN.

And the next, which didn't even sell drinks.

YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO IF YOU SPELL "COLOUR" WRONG

Glancing down the rest of the small shops, it seemed everyone had their two cents to add. Don't get him wrong, he loved his country, but the Brits sure knew how to get their point across.

"What's goin' on here?" Gabe asked when he returned with a bemused expression.

"From what I heard, some brass tried to get some of our black men kicked out of a pub, and that sort of thing don't fly with our British allies. So when that idiot demanded they segregate the establishments, they all refused to serve white people." Steve couldn't repress the chuckle that made it past his lips. He would have loved to see that peacock's face when he got the news of how his demands had backfired right in his pompous face. "Can let you imagine how well that went down. Next day, our brass had no choice but to back down or risk a mutiny from their white men who had nowhere to drink."

"Don't get between a man and his drink," Bucky agreed. "That includes you, Jones. Get in already, or I'll drag you in."

Steve let those two bicker their hearts out while they ordered. Gabe always gave as good as he got, so he wasn't worried. Meanwhile, he settled in a booth with Hermione, laying out the newspaper down between them.

"Oh, my... Where the hell did they get that picture?" Hermione exclaimed, her nose almost brushing the black and white photo taking half the page.

He had to admit it was a terrific shot, all of them more or less aligned and looking in the same direction over the desolate countryside, their uniforms and hair whipping in the wind… it was very artful, but he knew for sure they hadn't posed for it.

"I think that's in Austria? It looks mountainous enough," Steve said, not entirely convinced.

"Nope," Bucky corrected as he and Gabe set their pints down. "That's Slovenia. I remember telling myself those mountains looked like a nice pair of-"

"Bucky!" he and Hermione exclaimed, drowning out whatever piece of anatomy he had been contemplating, which just made him laugh.

"But you weren't too far. Austria is just on the other side."

That's explained why it didn't looked quite right. But now he recalled when that had been. They had almost been cut off from a way home, with the Italian fascists in the West and the Nazis in the North, but Jacques had come through once more, connecting them to the local resistance to lead them over a little known pass in the mountain which was used for sheep transhumance. But the person who had taken the picture remained a mystery. Steve didn't remember seeing anyone with a camera, but they'd all been too busy looking at their objective apparently.

"Why are they calling us the Howling Commando?" Gabe asked, tapping the bold front page title after having started on the second newspaper with Bucky.

That, too, was a mystery. He hadn't been informed of it any more than his team.

"Well, we are a loud bunch most of the time," Hermione said with a shrug, seeming not to mind it as much as her own monicker of Lady Liberty.

"Especially Dum Dum," Bucky said.

"Especially when you give him a boost, Lady," Gabe added. "Howls like a demon having the time of his life every time. I bet the sound gives Hydra nightmares."

"Good name, though. Our team didn't really have one before now," Steve said, wondering if it was fortuitous this photo and name was coming out precisely now, when they were in the country, or if Colonel Philips had something up his sleeve. He wouldn't put it pass that conniving old fox.

"The information published about us is pretty accurate," Hermione pointed out, reading faster than any of them. "Either we have a very big mole problem, or the Colonel let it slip on purpose."

"Why would he do that?" Bucky muttered.

Steve shrugged.

"Hydra already knows who most of us are and what we did. Keeping it secret doesn't really serve us. Telling the world though…"

"Oh no," Hermione said.

"They're going to use us Captain Tighty-Pants style, aren't they?" Bucky asked.

"I'm not wearing tights, nuh-uh," Gabe said, shaking his head. "I've got nothing to be ashamed of down there mind, but tights are too much, man."

Steve chuckled.

"Don't worry. We're known to the public with our own uniforms thanks to this article, so that's what they'll want us to wear. But be prepared for some PR nightmare to hit us on the nose soon."

"Still not what we signed up for…"

"But orders are orders, right?"

They enjoyed their beer though, then Gabe asked if he could keep one of the newspapers to send over to his Ma and went on his merry way to write back home. It was heartwarming how proud of himself he looked. He deserved it, too. Each and every one of his team did.

Hermione startled next to him, and her cheeks appeared flushed when he looked her over.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Steve asked, concerned she might not be completely over her cold.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, her eyes avoiding Bucky's.

Steve looked at his friend who was oozing smugness and he rolled his eyes.

"Playing footsie, Buck?"

"Jealous?" he replied, his foot sneaking between his thighs.

Surprised, Steve shot up from his seat, almost bowling over the table and empty glasses. He apologized to the barkeep and sat back down, cheeks pink.

"You need to wind down," Bucky admonished.

"Why are you so jumpy?" Hermione asked, eyes narrowed as she looked him over. "Are you hiding something?"

"No."

He really wasn't. But he had been thinking a lot of what Hermione told him of the second world war in her world, amongst the magicals and non-magicals and the timeline worried him in particular, fearing they were not in the right place doing the right thing… what if the good guys didn't win in this war? Schmidt still had the Tesseract after all and they had no idea where it was or what he was using it for, not even Hermione. So yeah, maybe he was a bit on edge. If it was just him, he'd go back out there, on the frontline, but he couldn't go without his team following him, and he couldn't ask that of them so soon. For the same reason, he couldn't tell Hermione or Bucky, but he didn't need to make up an excuse right then because the formerly quiet pub had been steadily filling in, and not all of them were here for a drink.

Hermione nudged him with her elbow, her chin nodding towards a man holding a large camera. They hadn't yet put on their dancing monkey suits that the circus was already here.

"Backdoor," Bucky muttered, his eyes darting to the left.

To their credit, the crowd didn't hound them and the barkeep apologized for the fuss. Back on the street, the sun had began to set, but the Blackout meant the street of the city were prematurely dark with the black curtain drawn on every window, the absence of street lights and even the cars had their light dimmed to mere slits.

"Better get back to Monty's before it gets too dark. I heard people can get lost feet from their home if they're not careful."

The streets were impossible to navigate in the pitch black despite the white stripes painted on the kerbs. The serum might have made his vision the best it could ever be, but he still could not see in the dark the way dogs could. Shame that. The streets could become dangerous too, and Falsworth had warned them to look out for cutthroats if they were stupid enough to be out at night. Steve would like to see them try, but didn't want Hermione to witness such appalling behaviour from her countrymen.

"Monty lives here?" she asked, looking up at the big London house with wide eyes. "Should have guessed with a name like that."

"You should see the size of the beds," Bucky said, waggling his eyebrows. "You could fit Snow White _and_ her seven dwarfs."

Steve had shared a bed with Bucky ever since the dragon nurse had kicked them out while Hermione was still stuck in the hospital. Falsworth had immediately offered up his home to the team so they could get some actual rest instead of staying on base. The bedsharing seemed to help with the nightmares. Bucky would always stay on his side, just within reach, but would cross the invisible border whenever his sleep was troubled to hug him the way he did Hermione. Steve loved it, and hated himself for loving something that caused Bucky anguish. He didn't have better luck at making him talk about it than Hermione had though.

"Will he even bother offering me a room?" she asked. "Your stuff is already in ours," Steve confessed.

Their friends had known for while now they preferred to share a bed when possible. They kept up appearances, but his teammates weren't stupid, and Steve wasn't going to inconvenience Falsworth just for the sake of keeping up the charade. They all trusted one another with their lives, so trusting them with their secret was the next logical step.

The next couple of days seem all too perfect in the cocoon of Falseworth's home, even if life in London at the moment was a bit strange with all the measure put in place to avoid German detection and spies. The rest of the team were in and out at all hours, and Steve was sure Gabe actually had a sweetheart somewhere in London because he had this dazed look about him every time he returned, although he won't tell them about her for some reason. The three of them were content to stay in each other's company. Steve doubted that was actually healthy, but at this point he didn't even care because it was doing Bucky a world of good. He was more relaxed than he had seen him since before he left in his brand new uniform, more like his old self, more confident and carefree… He finally confided in them one night as they were all in bed, under cover of darkness and fluffy blankets.

"I know you want me to tell you what happened with Zola, but truth is, I'm not even sure. They did something… Don't remember what, but it hurt. It hurt so bad I just wanted… I wanted it to end, no matter what, no matter how. Ending it was better. "

Steve reached over Hermione to touch his arm, to comfort him, in part, but truth was he had needed to feel Bucky there, warm and solid and alive.

"I keep having these nightmares, but even when I'm awake, it's like they're in my head. They put images in my mind, words, ideas… I don't know. I can't get rid of that sensation that there's something in my head that's not me, like a worm in an apple, you know, eating it from the inside." He laughed self-deprecatingly. "They managed to make me afraid of myself. It's stupid, right? Afraid of my own shadow like I'm a kid?"

Steve didn't think it was stupid. Probably the wisest thing he'd ever said actually.

"Is that possible?" he asked Hermione instead.

"With magic, easily. If I had my wand, I could look into your mind and help you sort through it, heal your mind, even if they have, in fact, managed to implant ideas there. But mind control by non magical means… if I remember correctly, the muggles on my side didn't dabble into it before the sixties. Your world is technologically more advanced however, other fields might be as well, so it is a possibility." She sighed. "I wish I had my wand."

"I wish I could forget it all," Bucky mutters, barely above a whisper, which he might have missed if they weren't all so close to one another. "I just want to forget."

Bucky held Hermione close, squeezing her in his arms and hiding his face in her wild hair, as if it would help him block out the rest of the world. Contrary to Hermione, Steve wasn't surprised when Bucky finally kissed her. She was still the default middle spoon, out of habit more than anything else, but he liked to think if it had been him instead, it would not have mattered.

But then Bucky pulled back and apologised.

"I'm sorry. I don't… I didn't mean to… I'm not… using you to forget."

"I know, Bucky. It's fine."

"It's all fine," Steve agreed. "Don't overthink it too much."

"But I have been," Bucky sounded genuinely coy. He wasn't even faking it as he sometimes did to ensnare a lady. "I have to tell you guys something else."

Steve's eyebrows shot up. He had no idea what this could be. Buck never used to keep secrets from him. If anything, he shared too much. Either what he had to tell them was really bad, or really embarrassing.

"You remember that night we all got drunk after raiding that Hydra base."

"When you guys didn't listen to me and drank absinth

you mean?"

"Yeah. I sort of saw you two… later… in the tent… together."

Steve felt Hermione warm under his fingers. Blushing, no doubt, just like he was, but damn…

"Well, you were drunk," Steve said when Hermione didn't say anything.

"Not really. And I could have just walked away when I realized, but I didn't. I watched. I wanted to watch."

Steve wasn't sure how to react to his confession. Honestly, not only did he not mind, but the thought of Bucky watching them having sex, hiding in the shadows, just a few feet away, aroused him, which had to be a lot weirder.

"Did you like what you saw?" Hermione asked, her voice breathy, but loud in the silent room.

Maybe it wasn't such big deal in the future. Maybe he should be the one not to overthink it. He held his breath so he wouldn't miss Bucky's answer but he didn't reply, or maybe he only nodded. The room was too dark to see much.

"Did you think about our offer? " Steve asked.

"How could I not?" Bucky replied teasingly without elaborating.

"And?" he and Hermione asked at the same time, both sounding too eager.

Bucky chuckled, low and predatory, then Hermione squealed and shifted away from him, before they both rolled back against his side, Bucky's face inches away as he gave his answer.

"The way I see it, I accepted as soon as you asked, Steve. I'm just not sure of how to go about it, and I mean, we haven't had all that much privacy until we got here."

"What do you feel comfortable with?" he pressed.

The last Steve wanted was to spook off his oldest friend. If he was only comfortable with Hermione, that was fine too, as long as she was okay with it. Bucky was right, they already were together, the three of them, always there for each other. Their relationship wasn't about sex… but love and friendship and care. Sex was a bonus.

Bucky turned his head towards him, his breath raising goosebumps along his neck, a shiver of anticipation down his spine. Alright, so he wasn't immune to Bucky's charms, but to be fair, almost no one was.

"I want to watch. Like last time? Maybe… more. I'm not sure yet."

"Whatever you want, Buck," he said, Hermione echoing his words.

She heard them kiss, then suddenly Hermione was in his lap, straddling him, and the soft, dimmed light was switched back on. It seemed blinding at first, but he blinked a couple of times to adjust and the lamp gave them just enough light to enjoy the sight of each other. Hermione pushed his shirt up, her hands soft and warm, tingling wherever they came in contact with his skin. He pulled it the rest of the way over his head and plopped back down in his pillow before tugging the little bow on Hermione's nightshirt to reel her in for a kiss, her lips already wet and puffy from the one Bucky had given her. He pulled at the string, opening the top of her nightshirt wide, letting it slide past her shoulders to pool at her waist. Her skin was flushed and she looked more self conscious than usual as she glanced between him and Bucky.

"You're a beauty if I ever saw one," Bucky breathed out, his eyes roaming over her, pausing at the scars she couldn't hide with her hair.

Bucky's gaze shifted to him, questioning. Steve shook his head minutely, the whole conversation lasting but a couple of seconds went unnoticed by Hermione. They could talk about it later. It was in her past and they all wanted to enjoy the present right now. Needed it. All of them.

Steve shimmied out of his bottoms, Hermione rubbing against him as she peppered kisses down his neck. Gone was the awkward moment of self consciousness. Personally, he was already losing himself to the sensations Hermione elicited, his body starved for touch, reacting to every flutter of fingers and lips. Bucky moved next to him and he forced his eyes open, looking through half lidded eyes at his now naked chest, following the movement of his hands and they dipped lower, pushing his pants down, freeing his cock, already half hard despite the lack of attention it was getting. Steve bit his lip. It was unfair. He wanted Bucky to feel as good as he was feeling.

But he couldn't make him, force his hand… If he wanted to take his time, that was good too. The anticipation, the drumroll some called it, he could see _-feel-_ Bucky was enjoying that. He'd changed. Before, in his stories, Bucky would take, hard and fast, and be content with that. Everything was a race: chasing skirts, chasing pleasure, then chasing the next one. Maybe it was war that had changed him. It made young men old, turned them cautious but also appreciative of the little things, those they never took notice of before or took for granted. They shuffled along on their young legs now, the race forgotten, taking their time because they knew it was so precious and there might be little of it left for them…

So they took their time that night, him, Hermione and Bucky. Two turned three, and becoming one.


	16. Gravity

**A/N: Very sorry for the formatting issues of the last couple of chapters. It should be fixed now and going forward. Thanks again for all the support and love for this fic 3**

As expected, Colonel Phillips soon called them back from their leave, even Jacques who had somehow managed to sneak back to the southern "free" zone of France through occupied territory to check on his nieces and former resistance cell. Gabe still had that goofy look on his face despite having to unglue himself from his mystery girl. Seriously, Steve had seen neither hide nor tail of the guy since drinking at the pub together after their release from hospital, and that had been over a week ago. Don't get him wrong, Steve was happy for him, and for all the others who looked in top form now. He couldn't help the fond smile as he watched them all fidget like kids while the Colonel looked them over, as if gauging if he should send them back to rest some more. But he finally nodded and told them what they'd been fearing: until more intel was gathered on Hydra, they would be balls deep in PR. The press and the people wanted them all together, the whole team, as if they were a collectible set. .

"Raise moral, raise money. The Captain knows the drill. You got questions, you go to him, because I don't give a rat's ass about all that bullshit. But when I call you back, I want you out of your monkey suits at the drop of a hat."

"Shouldn't be too hard since our monkey suits _are_ our uniforms," Bucky muttered.

"What's that, sergeant?"

"Nothing, sir. Understood, sir."

Morita's snicker cut off abruptly, replaced by a poorly concealed whimper after a kick to the shin from Buck's boot. Steve rolled his eyes, wondering how long it was going to take before he got them back under some semblance of order. They were already known as the Howling Commando, he didn't need the press to come up with something worse like the Rowdy Bunch. He'd never hear the end of it.

But they were soldiers first and foremost, so they obeyed his orders to a T. In fact Steve hardly ever got any complaints about them, which was nothing short of a miracle with the prank war which had somehow began between Bucky and Morita, Dum Dum and Monty, Jacques and Bucky, not to mention Gabe and Hermione. He could swear he'd only had his back turned for two minutes and now he had to dodge vegetables and farting cushions… He was just glad they'd left him out of it, although he worried they thought he didn't have a sense of humour. It did give him time and many occasions to draw his team mates in unusual states. His favourite so far was Gabe covered in flour, although Hermione with pigtails was a close second. Bucky was too good at dodging traps, the suspicious sneak he was now, so Steve had yet to add him to his sketchbook of ridicule.

He reasoned it was their way to blow off steam from having to remain still for photographs, follow scripts for filming or recite carefully written answers to carefully chosen questions. It could be quite frustrating. Steve was used to it, but his team found it utterly boring.

Worse was that they had to lie about their relationship, him and Hermione. He sometimes snickered to himself at the thought of their relationship with Bucky too being made public. But since such a scandal would only get them kicked out of the army, at best, probably sent to prison or an asylum at worse, they were careful to deny anything even remotely romantic ever happening. The rest of the team chipped in. As Gabe said it, Lady Liberty was "one of the guys". It was for the best. Later, when there was peace, they would make things right, as much as they could get away with.

The pantomime continued for weeks. Fake smiles, words put in their mouths, kiss the baby, shake hands, pose for pictures, interviews… They had made collectible cards of the team for crying out loud and Hermione even had dolls fashioned after her. The Liberty Doll they called it and according to their PR slaver, they sold like hotcakes. The monkey parade went on for weeks, which felt like years, so when the Colonel sent for them, there was a collective whoop of joy and relief at knowing this nightmare would soon be over.

Seeing everyone standing at attention in their uniforms, like real soldiers once more, made Steve's heart swell with pride. It was plain as day every single one of them wanted to get back to business and do what his team did best. Colonel Phillips had a knowing smirk when he faced them. Whatever he was about to announce was so good even he couldn't keep up his usual level of poker face.

"We've got a tail on Dr Zola. The target, as you know, is as close a second as the Red Skull has. We nab that sonofabitch, we'll deal Hidra and Schmidt a solid blow and get ourselves a goldmine of intel."

Bucky muttered about roughing him up a bit first but everyone pretended not to hear. Steve glanced at Hermione who had been experimented on by the so-called doctor as well, and was not surprised to find her paler than usual.

"He's on the move as we speak so you'll be dropped off ahead of his itinerary and we'll wait for the best opportunity to extract him. The eyes we have on him will keep us updated. Questions?"

Steve couldn't wait to be away from the cameras and all the media circus they'd had to deal with since that newspaper special on them, so he only really had one question.

"When do we leave?"

The schedule was tight and they only had time to grab their pre-packed bags before boarding a plane. They were all in much better shape than when they had arrived which gave Steve even more confidence that they would succeed.

Once they were parachuted as close to the optimal location to intercept Zola, Gabe received a message from their informant the doctor had suddenly changed his plans and was due to board a train near Munich to head south through the Austrian mountains.

"We can still make it," Steve decided, putting together a hasty plan to steal nazi uniforms and a truck to move quickly through occupied territory. It made his skin crawl, both at the underhandedness of the plan and wearing the enemy's uniform, but it was vital they captured Zola so he stomped down on his morals and merely wrinkled his nose as he put on the beige shirt and weird puffy slacks. Morita and Gabe had to go in as random prisonnier though. The two of them were quite happy at not having to wear the hated uniform, but guilt are at Steve at excluding them based on stupid nazi beliefs. Hermione, on the other hand, had to dress as a stray boy soldier of the Hitlerjugend because she couldn't fill a man's uniform convincingly enough, and the less questions thrown their way on their trip through enemy territory, the better. That done, they took turns driving while the others slept in the back, and shot anyone who didn't fall for the trick. Infiltration was dirty business, but he knew it would be worth it in the end. The whole operation might have been last minute, but they made it to the top of a mountainside, ready to board the train Zola was travelling in at high sped through the snow. Bucky was checking his straps for the umpteenth time.

"This is payback for making you ride the Cyclone on Coney Island, isn't it?" he asked.

"'Course not. I already got payback for that when I threw up on your shoes, remember?"

Steve couldn't help grinning at Bucky's discomfort though. Only three of them could board the train in the limited window of time they had for the train to pass, so Bucky needn't have volunteered. Dum Dum or Falsworth would have gladly taken his spot, but Bucky had a bone to grind with Zola and had been adamant he be one of them. As much as she hated the man, Hermione hadn't volunteered because of her fear of heights. It was all she could do to step closer to the mountain's cliff to bid them good luck.

"This plan is idiotic," she muttered as she hugged him.

"And that's why it's going to work," Steve replied, tilting her chin up for a kiss. "We'll be back before you know it."

Hermione let go of him and turned towards Bucky.

"You'll watch his six?"

"Always, doll," he said as he pulled her into a hug.

"Be careful," she said and kissed him too, apparently not caring what anyone saw or thought in that moment.

That was fine, he didn't either. They might really end up like bugs on a windshield, after all. He had to admit this plan was a bit reckless, but there were not all that many options to board a speeding train. They had missed the opportunity to infiltrate it before departure, but even if they hadn't, it meant they would have had to make it through a hoard of Hydra agents in the middle of enemy territory which was just plain impossible. If they could do that, they'd just go after Hitler and stop the war right now.

"Maintenant!" Jacques shouted.

Steve launched himself onto the zipline first without hesitation, closely followed by Bucky, then Gabe. The landing was rough and the train roof more slippery than he had anticipated, but they all made it aboard safely. For the first few seconds anyway. As soon as they made it inside, they were set upon by heavily armed Hydra agents and separated. He had no idea where Gabe was but he managed to fight his way back to Bucky in time to toss him a gun. That kept the Hydra agent occupied while Steve circled around to knock him unconscious.

"I had him on the ropes," Bucky groused.

"Sure you did, pal," he chuckled and gave him a hand up before the familiar blue glow of a Hydra gun caught his eye. "Watch out!"

Another Hydra goon burst in from the next wagon, his shot missing them by a hair's breadth, but the blast gutted the side of the train wide open instead.

"Fucking hell!" Bucky muttered, then rolled forward just in time to grab his shield and use it to deflect the next shot.

It worked, but he must not have expected the kickback from the impact because he was violently thrown back. Then everything happened so fast, not even his super reflexes could make a grab for Bucky fast enough before he was sucked right out of the train like a puppet with his strings cut. He was just gone, in the blink of an eye. It was so sudden…

"No!" _No, no , no , no , no._ "Bucky!"

He stumbled towards the gaping hole then stuck his head out, losing precious seconds to the rushing wind blinding him as much as sheer panic. Then relief washed over him when he found his friend hanging onto the side of the train, the rushing wind whipping his hair and clothes around him. He got as close as he could and held out his hand.

"Bucky! Bucky, take my hand!"

 _Please take my hand. Don't let go, Buck._

Bucky reached out, but he was too far down, hanging on for dear life onto scrap metal, but Steve tried inching closer, dangerously close to toppling over himself, but he had to try. Almost there. He was almost within reach when the metal bar Bucky was hanging onto whined and snapped. Dread and surprise filled Bucky's eyes. He seemed to fall so slowly, without a sound, Steve thought he could still catch him, but the train sped on, uncaring, and Bucky disappeared in the white nothingness between clouds and snow.

Steve stared at that spot, confused, unable to believe what had just happened. It couldn't be. Not Bucky. Not like that. He had been so close. It was too sudden…

The train whistled, a long, strident wail which pulled Steve out of his shock. He closed his eyes and pushed everything away but the mission, or this would have been all for nothing. Steve wiped his eyes on his sleeve and soldiered on, and if he hit without holding back, leaving a trail of pain and death behind him, if he didn't care to be hurt or killed, well, there was no one at his six to scold him about it now.

He just kept going on, straight ahead, because going forward was easier than looking back, and he found doctor Zola cowering at the front of the train, averting his eyes as if he was the angel of death come for his pitiful soul. The temptation was there, but he couldn't…. Thankfully, Gabe arrived soon after. Just in case.

"Bucky?" he asked with a frown, glancing behind him as if he expected him to appear any second now with his crooked smile and one of his cocky comebacks.

Steve shook his head, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. Gabe cursed and radioed in the news for him.

"Package secured. Bucky didn't make it."

Steve hated himself for letting Hermione learn it this way, but he couldn't say those words, not to anyone and especially not to her.

Getting back to the base to deliver their prisoner went by in a blur. He was barely aware of what was going on around him, or of the people. Shock, probably. He had delayed dealing with losing Bucky and now it was all coming crashing down. He'd even tried drinking himself into oblivion but that had been a complete waste of time.

"Hermione."

She was still there. Hadn't left his side as far as he could tell, her small hands holding onto his on the wooden table. Her eyes were puffy and red, her nose too. He was a terrible boyfriend. She loved Bucky too, she was grieving too, and they only had each other now.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You've nothing to be sorry for, Steve."

"Did you… read my report?"

Hermione nodded.

"You wouldn't talk, so… Yes, I did. I had to know… for Bucky. It wasn't your fault. You know that right?"

Steve wanted to argue and she must have seen it because she spoke again before he could answer.

"You did everything you could. So did Bucky. Stop blaming yourself for something you could not have changed. Bucky wouldn't want that. Pretty sure he'd call you a little punk and hit you over the head for it, in fact."

Steve could picture him perfectly doing just that, with that twinkle in his eye and that half smile that made his heart skip a beat every single time. Now his heart felt heavy, as if it was going to drop right through his chest to land on the gritty floor. He still couldn't believe he was gone. Bucky had always been there. He was a fixture, like the sky. And the guilt was eating him up, no matter what Hermione or anyone else said. He was their leader. He had approved the mission, and he had been so close to saving Buck. He should have tried harder. It should have been him, not Bucky.

"I'm going after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop until Hydra has been destroyed."

It's what Bucky had wanted after all.

"You won't be alone," Hermione said, squeezing his hand. Steve expected the nightmares, the replay of Bucky's fall over and over again, each one more horrific than the last. He hadn't expected Hermione's though, nor their consequences. He heard her scream a split second before a blast of magic sent him clear across their bedroom, making a dent in the wall before plaster rained down on him. Monty appeared in a nightshirt, gun in hand, but one look at the scene and he put it away.

"Don't suppose you two have found a way to contain the magic?" he asked with a twitch of his moustache while he watched Hermione hover several inches above the bed.

"You know?" Steve asked as he circled back to Hermione's side.

He'd rather the hits were directed at him than at Montgomery since she would be mortified to learn she broke their host's bones in her sleep.

"Tents don't make good walls."

Steve chuckled.

"The others?"

"They're all idiots."

His smile told him he didn't mean it in the least, but Falsworth must have been running interference for them.

"Thanks. You know… It's not my secret to tell, and Hermione has had a lot of prejudice thrown her way for what she is before."

"I understand."

Steve took Hermione's hand and called her name softly so as not to startle her, coaxing her back from wherever her mind had taken her. Her breathing slowed and her eyes fluttered for a few seconds, then she fell back ungracious on the bed with a squawk.

Montgomery let himself out without a sound. Steve knew he was real lucky to have someone like him on his team. He was lucky to have all of them, but now, he was equally terrified of losing them because of his poor decisions.

"Steve? I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"You couldn't hurt me if you tried, love. Go back to sleep, it was just a nightmare."

She nodded sleepily and snuggled down against him, still exhausted from crying the day away. Steve held her close, listening to her breaths, feeling the slow up and down of her chest against him and the warmth of her hand clinging to him. Very much alive. He wished he could convince her to stay back, but he knew her too well, and she was as stubborn as he was.

Because the Colonel had Zola, and it was only a matter of time before he started squealing. The so called doctor was a coward who believed in nothing and could be bullied into anything. Knowing Phillips, Zoal would tell him where to find Schmidt and Steve would get his revenge very soon.

Twenty four hours. That's all they had before the Red Skull unleashed hell on earth. Hermione was terribly pale and she was shaking, her magic acting up at the slightest provocation. It was taking all her willpower to keep it under control, but Steve still had to step on the bar of her chair to keep it from levitating at that announcement.

Hermione had told him about the atomic bombs that had ended the war on the eastern front in her own world, and quite frankly, these Hydra bombs sounded worse, much more powerful. The whole easter seafront back home would be gone if they didn't stop the Red Skull, and that was without counting the rest of the world. Thank God Zola was a blabbermouth. How the Colonel had made him talk was a mystery, but he seemed pretty confident about the veracity of his intel, including the base where the last of Hydra was departing from, deep down in the Alps.

"So, what are we supposed to do. I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door," Morita muttered as they looked over they knew of this secret base.

It was impregnable from all sides, unlike the ones they had raided all over the rest of Europe, more heavily armed and manned than all of them combined. A frontal attack would be suicide. Maybe that's why Morita's derisive comment made sense. If the only access was the front door, they might as well knock at the door to be let in.

"Why not? That's exactly what we're gonna do," Steve replied before exposing his plan to the rest of the room.

It wasn't exactly well-received, but they were running out of time.

"If you don't make it, I swear I'm going to find a way to bring you back to life and kill you myself," Hermione growled in his ear before his drop-off.

"I love you too. I'll see you in a bit," he promised.

Probably a bad idea to make such promises in the middle of a war, after Bucky, but he fully intended to make good on it. He couldn't leave her on her own, cause her the same grief and pain they were already struggling with. Saluting the rest of the team, Steve jumped. Letting himself get captured by Hydra was so counterintuitive, it took him much longer than expected. In his defense, he couldn't make it _too_ obvious that was his aim, so the trail of death and destruction Steve left behind him until they cornered him was entirely justified… for credibility's sake. Putting his hands up in the air in surrender was just as alien to him. His whole body and soul was screaming at him to stand up and keep fighting, to no give up.

 _Think of it as a time out,_ he kept telling himself as he schooled his face into a hangdog expression, shoulders drooping, and slowly followed his captors with their Hydra guns and flamethrowers aimed at him. It was so tempting to sidestep the one on his left who was slower due to his gear and use his own weapons against the others. It would be so easy. With a sigh, Steve focused on the snow-packed path ahead, at the looming grey hangar doors dug into the side of the mountain, almost invisible. Howard's little spy thingy he was carrying under his uniform better work, or he really would be in trouble if the team didn't know when and where to jump in.

 _Soon_ , he thought as they made him kneel in front of the hideous Red Skull.

"Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say you do it better than anyone. However, there are limits to what even you can do, Captain," Schmidt said as way of greeting. "You could at least have brought your little sorceress with you. Now _she_ has true potential."

Steve bristled at the way he talked about Hermione, with a creepy sort of fondness… Steve bit back his more colourful retorts, needing to gain some time for now.

"You're insane."

Schmidt chuckled darkly.

"That's what Erskine said. He never understood what greatness is, he never could understand with his weak view of the world, what it is meant to be. I have obtained true power now, not you."

Schmidt hit him, hard enough to whip his head to the side.

"I have mastered the Tesseract, harnessed its power," he continued, hitting him every time. "I will control your sorceress and I will rule this world."

Steve spat out blood then glared at him.

"I can do this all day."

Although he hoped his team got here soon. The Red Skull packed quite a wallop, and he really, _really,_ wanted to give as good as he got. Make him suffer like he was for killing Erskine, for torturing Hermione, for taking Bucky away from him, for wanting to inflict more pain on the world…

"Of course you can, but I, unfortunately, am on a tight schedule, so if you'll excuse me…"

Schmidt pointed a pistol at his head, the blue light emanating from its barrel leaving no doubt as to what powered it. Fortunately for him, dark shapes rapidly growing in size were making their way right for him. They crashed through the window and the gun pointed at him flew right out of Schmidt's hand, before he even had time to turn around. He didn't waste a second making a run for it though.

Montgomery tossed him his shield as he went in hot pursuit of the Red Skull. Hermione called after him, but he couldn't wait for her. She'd never be able to keep up anyway, and this was too important. It was all he could do to catch up to him, but then he ran into that idiot with the flamethrower and the thing was actually very efficient inside. No match for Peggy though.

"You're late," he quipped and went on his merry way.

But Schmidt had boarded his plane. The plan had been for the Colonel's troop to disable it before it could take off, so he must have encountered more resistance than expected. Steve ran and ran, but even a supersoldier was no match for a plane about to take off.

He turned at the sound of a roar at his back: a sleek, shiny car catching up to him. He was levitated into it, then dropped into the tiny back seat while Peggy jammed the accelerator and whooped.

"I'll get us on that plane," Hermione shouted over the roaring engine. "Ready?"

Contrary to Dum Dum, Steve didn't like the sensation of weightlessness levitation gave him, but he stood in preparation when they were close enough.

"Now!" Hermione yelled.

Steve leaped and was magically propelled the rest of the way to the open hatch which he jammed for Hermione to make her jump. He held on to the side and turned to observe her progress, ready to help her in, but to his horror, the speeding car was running out of runway, and Hermione seemed to be running out of magical steam, although she was only halfway up and the plane was starting its ascent, gaining more speed.

The tires of Peggy's car screeched and burned, but it stopped inches from the precipice. Hermione's jump faltered. She was too far from the plane, too far from the cliff… No… He couldn't do anything to help her, he couldn't catch her… she fell.

 _No! Not again!_

"Hermione!"

She became smaller and smaller as the plane took him away, then disappeared. Steve was numb. He stared, willing her to reappear suddenly, by magic, but he was too far now, whisked away by the speeding engine, above the clouds. It was Bucky all over again. He couldn't make sense of it, he was dying from inside, it was agony. He was surprised he even felt the boot that hit his back as a Hydra goon tried to kick him out through the hatch. He reacted on instinct once he did though, and pure rage took over. His attacker was tossed out in his stead, the next had his neck broken and the one after that was shredded by his own plane's rotors. Broken bones, split organs, or simply claimed by the woosh of air passing beneath them, Steve tore his way to the front of the plane with one fixed idea in mind: to kill the Red Skull.

To end it all.


	17. Heartless

Steve methodically disabled every fighter plane and pilot as he made his way to the front, relieved everytime he read the name of the city that would not be bombed, of the thousands of innocents that would be saved. He wished he could disable the large bombs fixed to the planes too, but he had neither the skills nor the time. Do, instead of several small planes with large bombs, he now had one large plane with a huge explosive charge, the consequences of which he couldn't even begin to imagine. And if that's all Schmidt had on hand, Steve had no doubt he would use it.

"You don't give up do you?" the Red Skull asked as he stood from the pilot's seat in the cockpit.

They were flying fast, above the ocean now. Water as far as he could see, which was a relief. He still had time.

"I did warn you," Steve said, smashing his shield into the other man's face, but he was fast and blocked it.

Steve stepped back. He needed an opening, a way to end this fight as quickly as possible to take care of this plane. Steve feigned surprise and spoke over Schmidt's shoulder.

"Maybe you'll listen to her."

It wasn't much, but Schmidt's eyes widened as he risked a glance over his shoulder. Steve kicked him. Hard. Square in the chest, sending him crashing against a console. To his horror, a hatch opened and he realized it was holding the blue cube, the Tesseract. Schmidt reached for it with eager hands. Steve had no idea what he could do with it, if he could wield its power bare-handed, but if Hermione was terrified of the thing, he wanted to stay well clear of it himself. Holding his shield up, Steve expected the worse from him, so he wasn't surprised by the energy pouring out of the cube in a blinding wave of light which seemed to create a hole into space above them, expanding the cockpit without breaking it. Steve could barely make out Schmidt's silhouette as it was pulled and stretched and swallowed by the strange energy surrounding them. His screams dimmed, then vanished, and so did the Red Skull. Dead. Killed by his own weapon.

The Tesseract hung there for another second then fell down onto the metal grating, melting right through it, then through the next and he had no doubt it would melt all the way through the plane and into the darkest depths of the ocean below. He couldn't care less though. He had no interest in the thing, and if it was lost for all eternity, all the better.

No, what Steve needed to do right now was figure out what to do with a plane full of bombs. He dropped his shield and sat on the pilot's seat Schmidt had vacated earlier. The control panel indicated "ZIEL NEW YORK CITY". Of course Schmidt would be that petty. Thinking of his city turned to dust made him sick to his stomach. He had to find a way to avoid that while not causing any casualties, but Schmidt had jammed the controls and he could not set if off course. Spotting the headset tossed aside, Steve radioed in, hoping he could still get in touch with the Hydra control tower which should now be taken over by his allies. If they put all their heads together, they might find a way… Barring that, he could at least say good-bye.

"Come in. This is Captain Steve Rogers. Do you read me?"

Static that seemed to last forever while the plane kept speeding onwards, then Morita's familiar voice greeted him, asking for his position before he was abruptly cut off by a feminine voice. For a split second Steve had hoped it was Hermione's, then was crushed all over again when he recognized Peggy's voice instead. A foolish hope when he had seen her fall with his own eyes.

"Steve! Are you alright?" Peggy asked.

"Fine. Schmidt is dead, but the plane-"

"Steve!"

Steve faltered for a moment, certain he was starting to hallucinate, but the panicked voice called his name again and there was no doubt who it was.

"Hermione? How? I saw you fall."

"I messed up. I let my fear get the better of me, but I found a safe outcrop to land onto until the guys pulled me back up. I should be up there with you, I'm sorry."

Steve chuckled. He was so glad, so relieved, so happy in that instant… until reality caught up with him.

"Hermione, this plane is headed for New York. It can't be stopped, it can't be deviated. Unless you guys think of something, the only way to stop it before it's too late is down."

Silence met his announcement, followed by a chorus of no in the background while Peggy told him she would get Howard.

"It'll be too late by then. I'm running out of time. I have to put her down in the water before I reach land. Maybe the bombs won't detonate in the water. It's our only hope."

"But...what about you?" Hermione asked, choking on her words.

Steve felt like the worse piece of scum for what he was about to say, especially after promising her he'd return.

"I'm sorry. I don't have a choice, love. It's my life to save millions. I know you'll understand."

Knowing her life, her own sacrifices, he knew she would. She might even forgive him in good time. He hoped so. Steve began forcing the plane down while a broken sob on the other end broke his heart but not his resolve. It had to be done.

"Steve! Wait I'm sure we can-"

Steve cut off Peggy. He knew she meant well, but this wasn't time for false hope. The plane was going down fast.

"Hermione. I know you'll get through this. You're the strongest, most wonderful woman I've ever met. I love you. I'll always-"

… _love you._

The water's surface had come so suddenly, hitting the nose of the plane with such force, it knocked the wind out of him. The dizziness was soon replaced by a cold so cold it burned and numbed at the same time. He knew he couldn't fight it, so he didn't try and let himself be taken by the dark water, closing his eyes one final time so his last thoughts would only be of Hermione and Bucky, the two people who had made his life so rich and worthwhile.

* * *

From the journals of Peggy Carter:

 _March 5th, 1945_

 _They made it official today. I have just seen the newspaper and it breaks my heart to see his earnest face staring back at me. To be honest, I can't. I turned it around and felt like I was betraying him, but I can hardly believe it. I can't believe he's gone._

 _Howard can't either. He's building all these mad schemes and machines to find him, but what's the point? Even with the super-serum… crash landing at high speeds, sinking into deep frozen waters… I can't imagine there will be much left to retrieve._

 _I know he didn't have a choice, I know... but dang it Steve! How could you do that to Hermione? She heard it, the exact moment the line went dead, the exact moment you crashed. I think she died too, then. She didn't say a word and walked away, but no one ever saw her again._

 _A soldier on guard duty outside swears she literally vanished into thin air, like a mirage in the desert. I mean, it's possible given her powers, right?_

 _But I wish I hadn't given her space to grieve. I wish I had clung to her and helped her through it… well, not get over you, that would have been an impossible task, but at least convince her to give life a chance._

 _I lost two dear friends that day, and now I'm writing to their ghosts as if they might answer._

* * *

Steve opened his eyes and glanced around, his confusion growing with every breath he took, because he shouldn't be here… wherever _here_ was. He should be dead, buried at sea in a Hydra plane. He sat, feeling out his body, but it was as healthy and powerful as it had always been since his transformation. The radio broadcasting in his room, on the other hand, was all wrong. Why on earth was it blaring out a "live" commentary of a baseball match he'd seen in person in 1941.

His suspicions only grew when an army nurse walked in. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The stockings, the buckle of her shoes, her nails, even the way she walked. He wouldn't even mention her bra and carefully avoided looking in that area. The strangeness, the way everything was just slightly off, reminded him of Hermione… Oh God, Hermione! He had to find her. She had to be worried sick. He'd been talking to her over the radio when solid water suddenly appeared out of the clouds, and it had been too late to tell her anything more, to say goodbye.

Steve got up on his feet, but the nurse tried to stop him.

"Ma'am, just don't. Where am I? And where is Hermione?"

The woman fidgeted. He had never seen such a shifty looking dame before. His eyes narrowed at her when a most unpleasant thought struck him. He grabbed the woman by her shirt and lifted her up to growl in her face.

"Are you Hydra?"

He thought he had gotten rid of the scum by killing the Red Skull and sacrificing his life to crash that doomsday plane, but here he was, alive and whole, in this strange charade of a place, so who knew what had happened after he had passed out? Maybe Hydra had had a backup plan to take over the world and they were toying with him for some nefarious reason.

"Captain, please."

A dark man with an eyepatch and the strangest clothes he'd seen since Hermione's "man-clothes" walked into his room, hands raised as if to placate him. Steve looked him up and down, then thought better of his questions.

"Or should I ask _when_ am I?"

The man's lonely eyebrow rose.

"We wanted to break it to you slowly, Captain, so forgive us for the subterfuge. Would you mind putting agent Byron down?"

Steve glanced at the wide-eyed woman and delicately put her down. The dark man clad in leather looked so much like a comic book villain that he would never have shown his face if he really was one. He would have sent in someone more presentable in his stead, so he was being honest, in a way.

"Are you going to answer my questions, or should I go looking for the answers myself."

"You might not like what I have to say."

"I'm not going to stick my head in the sand. Just tell me."

Steve crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

"Come. You'll want to see it for yourself."

A protest was on the tip of his tongue. He just wanted to get this over and done with, but the other man seemed just as stubborn and Steve needed the news too badly to battle this one out, especially since he was still high on adrenaline from waking up in a strange place with strange people. When he came down from that high, he might not be as receptive, or at all. He had an ominous feeling everything was about to go terribly wrong again.

It was confirmed when he walked out of his fake room, which looked just like a movie decor from the outside, something he was, unfortunately, very familiar with. His unease grew when he entered a squeaky clean government base with high windowed ceiling, crawling full of suits and military type. A familiar environment, yet different.

"My name is Nick Fury. I am the Director if this government agency called SHIELD."

This news confirmed Steve's fear. He must have been out of it after the crash for much longer than he had imagined if a whole new governmental agency had been born. And everything had a bright, modern edge to it he had glimpsed at the Stark Expo with Hermione and Bucky. His steps faltered.

"What year is it?" he managed to ask past the lump in his throat.

Fury was standing by a window, waiting for him like the drama queen he seemed to be, but his legs were like lead and Steve couldn't have taken a step further if he wanted too. Jesus, did the guy want him to look at whatever was outside and have a coronary? Fury stared at him with his one baleful eye, but he relented when Steve didn't so much as blink. He had stared down the Red Skull, this Fury guy had nothing on him.

"2011."

Steve closed his eyes. So much worse than he had feared. Further even than Hermione's time.

"Hermione?" he managed to croak out after a few minutes.

He opened his eyes. His heart was beating so fast. He needed to know, yet had never feared anything more than the words he was about to hear. He'd already lost Bucky, he couldn't lose Hermione too. What would be the point?

"No one knows," Fury answered keeping his unblinking eye on him. "She vanished into thin air, the same day you went down under."

Vanished? Not dead. Not growing old without him by her side. Maybe… maybe she'd been returned to her world. It was possible… or just wishful thinking. In any case, he might never see her again. He was alone, he had lost both his sergeants. He shouldn't be here, didn't deserve to. Why hadn't these people just left him where they'd found him?

Steve stepped up to the window. With any luck, he could give himself that heart attack, but the view was beautiful. Everything Hermione had told him about the future, he could see, and then some. He missed her even more in that moment, her absence a deep gouge in his heart. Steve turned away and slid down the wall onto the floor, trying to slow his breathing. If he wasn't a supersoldier, he'd think he was having an asthma attack. Thankfully, Fury didn't try to comfort him, but left him to grieve with only a few words.

"Take your time, Rogers. Take all the time you need."

In the following weeks, Steve went through the motions, but his heart wasn't in it. It had been lost in the ice, one half in the ravine of a snowy mountain, the other in the frozen ocean. He felt so lonely after having been surrounded by Hermione, Bucky and his team 24/7 for so long, that it was impossible not to miss them with every passing second. The pain, the pang of loss never lessened, but he tried not to show it. He didn't want their pity or empty words, so he soldiered on. He tried not to dwell on the past, not to lose himself to the memory of them. It was next to impossible, but it was the only way to keep on, and that's what his sergeants would have wanted.

So he had been assigned quarters, given clothes, his army back-pay, seventy years of it… what a joke. And agents were keeping a not so discreet eye on him. If he cared at all, he'd be annoyed, but he just pretended not to notice them the same way he pretended to be living.

The only time he found some relief from the grief, the loss, the uselessness and dreariness of everyday was punching a goddamn sandbag at the unfairness of it all. The one he'd hung up just five minutes ago went flying through the air, spilling sand everywhere. Steve sighed and went to collect the broom to clean up his mess. Just because he was a wretch didn't mean he was okay with making the janitor miserable too.

"On broom duty?"

Steve whirled around, broom at the ready, his instincts still very much combat-oriented despite the last few weeks spent as a civilian, but the man who had interrupted him did not seem threatening in the least. Just another agent in a black suit, one if his babysitters as he'd come to think of them, but they usually kept their distance. They _never_ talked to him.

But the way this agent met his eyes so directly was unnerving.

"Can I help you?" he asked, sounding gruffer than he'd intended, but the other man's smile only grew wider.

"Actually, I think I'm the one who can be of help to you, Captain Rogers."

"No offense, but I seriously doubt it."

No one could help him. Steve resumed his sand gathering, pushing the broom in front of him with sharper jabs than before, annoyed at the interruption. The intruder coughed politely at his back. Steve allowed himself one mighty sigh before he turned around once more. The man was handing him a file. Steve hesitated. He wanted to tell him to go play on the train tracks, but getting rid of his good manners was not so easy.

"Not interested," he said instead.

"Some files alluded to the fact Lady Liberty was linked to the Tesseract."

Hermione's war-moniker was like a punch to the guts. He glared at the agent but snatched the file from his hands. As expected, it was about the blue cube and not Hermione. That had been a dirty trick, but now that he has the file open, he might as well read it. The idiots had apparently found the Tesseract and were playing with it, poking at a thing beyond their power, beyond their control, even with all their modern technology. Steve snapped the file closed and handed it back.

"You should have left that thing in the ocean," he said through gritted teeth.

The very sight of it put him on edge, stirred memories he'd rather not have to relive.

"Too late for that I'm afraid. But you seem to know more about it than we were told. We could use your intel. It's been acting up lately, and since we can't just toss it back in the ocean..."

Steve bit back a curse. He knew he was being played, but this bit of information was hard to ignore. From what he knew, the only times the cube had lashed out was when the Red Skull had picked it up and when it had been in close proximity to Hermione's magic, both people who were linked to him: his nemesis and his love. Maybe he _should_ check it out just in case. With any luck, the Tesseract would strike against him and put him out of his misery.

"You know what? I'm in. Take me to your damn cube."


	18. Shades of Blues

The agent finally introduced himself as Agent Coulson on the plane-helicopter he called a Quinjet. It reached higher speeds than any plane he'd been on before, yet could remain stationary in the air, as well as land or take off like a helicopter. If he hadn't become such a grump, Steve would consider himself impressed. They were on their way to a secret military base in the middle of the desert of New Mexico, a remote scientific complex with project Pegasus at its heart to study the Tesseract.

Steve reiterated his feelings that poking at something they didn't understand was idiotic, but the agent just gave him one of his bland smiles that gave nothing away. Those were still a sight better than his predatory smile that gave him goosebumps the way the Red Skull had never managed to achieve.

"Schmidt thought he had it under control." Steve said, angry at being dismissed. "He experimented on it, made weapons with it, but in the end, it killed him."

"The Tesseract killed him? I always assumed you did."

"I watched. He sounded in pain, then he just vanished. Like I said, don't think you're controlling the damn thing. You're not."

Coulson at least seemed to be thinking about it, but since he was just an agent amongst the hundreds other agents they seemed to have in SHIELD, Steve doubted it would change anything.

The complex was huge, even if it appeared dwarfed in the never ending desert. Once on the ground, Steve followed Coulson through the underground tunnel network which criss crossed each other like a labyrinth until he suddenly stopped without warning and looked up.

"Barton," he said.

"Sir," a man greeted them as he dropped from the shadows above.

He was stocky with arms that rivalled his own, and to his surprise, he carried an honest to God bow slung over his back.

"Whose shift is it?" Coulson asked. "And what's the situation?"

"Agent Troy just took over. Cube is still sparking now and then. Doctor Selvig doesn't look worried though. Nothing else to report."

"Good. Why don't you take a break while we have a look at it. And use the floor like everyone else before you give someone a heart attack."

Barton eyed Steve curiously, but nodded at Coulson and strutted off down the tunnel while they entered through the only door leading in or out of a vast hangar. Not a single plane in sight however, but the cube glowed brightly with a whole lot of metal, wires and computers attached to it. A lot of scientists too in their pristine white lab coats. The mad scientist of the lot was easy to spot. Much like Howard, he hovered over everyone and buzzed to and thro, twiddling this and that while spouting enthusiastic nonsense.

"That's Dr Selvig, I take it?" Steve asked pointing at the man in the checkered button up which looked much like his own.

"It is. Do you know him?"

Steve scoffed. As if he knew anyone apart from his babysitter agents, and even those he didn't really know. Steve had tried to connect to a few people though, nothing serious, just the old lady who lived down the hall, the dame he almost always brought his coffee from at that popular place with the star, the Italian guy he brought his newspaper from at the kiosk… But there was a barrier he couldn't get through, a gap in language, references, interests… as if the whole of USA had become foreign to him, and he was Captain goddamn America, which just made things awkward. Not to mention his lack of enthusiasm at living like a normal person. He'd tried, but not really. He was such a hypocrite. His last words for Hermione had been to encourage her to live her life despite being left on her own, having lost both Bucky and himself. In some strange twist of Fate, he was the one alive and alone, his two sergeants forever lost, and yet, he couldn't even bother to try living without them, doing the bare minimum instead.

"Let's go talk to him," Steve said and walked up to the Doctor to introduce himself.

"Captain America," Coulson chimed in when Selvig only looked blankly at him.

"Ah yes. I'll admit I'm more familiar with the Robins than the Howling Commandos. Miss Granger hunted down the Tesseract during World War 2 from what the archives tell me. Impressive work. A shame she never got to study it more in depth."

"I don't think she would have wanted to," Steve said, smiling at the appreciation the man showed for Hermione's work during the war before she became Lady Liberty. "The cube and her didn't get along. It attacked her and she was fairly scared of it after that."

"You talk about it as if it's sentient?"

"That's the impression it left her. Me too when it killed the Red Skull. The attack was too… targeted, deliberate. It obliterated Schmidt and didn't give me so much as a scratch despite me standing right next to it. But it's powerful. It looked as if… "

Steve paused, searching for a way to describe it, finding some amusement at seeing his audience hanging onto his every word when they no doubt knew more about _everything_ than he ever would.

"It was like it opened a gate… a portal directly into space… I could see the stars, a sky of dark purples and blues, and a cold worse that the Arctic waters. And that was in the enclosed cockpit of a speeding plane, mind you. Honestly, I wouldn't tinker with that thing if I were you."

Unfortunately, all the doctor seemed to have taken from his warning was the idea of a gate into space. It had him so excited he had already ran off to gather his flock of slightly less mad scientists to give them new instructions. Steve sighed and made himself go to the Tesseract. It looked as unstable and evil as the time Schmidt had held it. He really wish they would heed his warnings before it caused some catastrophe or other. He could almost feel it coming.

As soon as he'd thought it, a tendril of blue energy leaped from the cube and laced around his wrist. Steve jerked back, but too late, the damn thing had burned him.

"Interesting," Selvig said as he inspected the cold burn it had left him. "Do you think you could-"

"No," Coulson snapped as he too inspected his injury. "Do try to keep the Tesseract under control, Doctor. Captain, I'll show you to the infirmary."

"It's not necessary," Steve objected, tugging his arm out of Coulson's gentle hand. "It'll be as good as new in a couple of hours. I would like to keep an eye on the cube for a bit, if you don't mind."

Coulson pursed his lips but nodded, then pointed to a walkway high above.

"As long as you keep well out of the way."

Steve nodded and made his way up. He had a good view of everything going on from here, the Tesseract first and foremost. He checked his wound now and then. It felt and looked like a burn but wasn't healing as fast as it should. He had the eery feeling the darned thing had just marked him on purpose.

Steve hid the mark from Coulson the next few days, because he appeared to be something of a mother hen to his agents, and had extended that little quirk to him for some reason. No need to worry the man, because even if the mark was still visible, it didn't hurt. Hiding it was an easy task too, because Steve was on his shift up on the walkway to watch over the Tesseract and scientists. He hadn't _joined_ SHIELD, despite Coulson asking him. Repeatedly. But he was understanding enough to let him be a part of the team anyway.

"A consultant," Coulsdon had said with a sigh. "Better than nothing."

Steve liked it up on the walkway. No one to bother him up here, and he could keep an eye on the malevolent object down below. It would act up now and then, but nothing as bad as when he'd gotten too close himself.

"Hey, Cap."

Steve glanced at Barton in confusion.

"Is it 1800 already?"

"Nope," the archer said, popping the P as he plopped down next to him in such a nonchalant manner, he seemed made of soft butter. "But since we take turns at this gig, we never get to talk. Thought I'd come early for a chat. Get to know my partner, ya know?"

Steve turned away, staring morosely at the blue hue of the hangar turned lab. Barton was a swell guy from what he'd heard. Everyone liked him, and Steve had to admit he was funny. He had even surprised a laugh out of him the other day when Steve had overheard him telling Coulson a joke over the com. Steve couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed before that… Might have been before the train, before everything spiralled out of control.

"Cap?"

"Sorry. I'm not much of a talker, I guess."

He could feel the agent's eyes on him, but pretended not to, and thought Barton would get the hint and leave, like everyone else, so he was surprised when he heard him chuckle.

"That's okay. Coulson is always saying I'm a blabber mouth, so I'll talk for two. And I've been dying to ask…"

Interest piqued despite himself, Steve pulled his gaze away from the cube and back to the archer who was grinning at him mischievously.

"Did Coulson ask you to sign his cards yet?"

"Cards?"

"Oh, guess he didn't. Wonder why?" The look he gave him told Steve he knew exactly why he hadn't. "He's got the whole collection of Captain America trading cards. Guy's a real fanboy. I bet he wears Captain America jammies. My bet is he sleeps with a Lady Liberty doll, but I haven't managed to break into his room yet."

Steve winced at the reminder of his lost love. Having their loss weighing heavily on his heart all the time was one thing, like a dull ache than never left, but suddenly having someone conjure the memory of her so vividly felt like a stab that set it bleeding anew.

"Sorry. I always figured the movies got it wrong," Barton said as he read his emotions like an open book.

"Movies?"

"Yeah, you know? A Shadow over Europe, Starry Fields, The Howling Commando's Last Stand, and that old chick flick…" Barton snapped his fingers. "Freedom to Love! That's it!"

Steve snapped his mouth shut. He hadn't heard of any of those. They weren't movies he had filmed with his team in any case, but those had been propaganda pieces more than entertainment.

"They made movies about me… And Hermione?"

Actors playing him and Hermione in love… Honestly, he was torn between horror that people had watched his love life playing out for entertainment value, and a burning curiosity to watch it himself. Had they gotten it right somehow? Did the actress look anything like Hermione? Would watching her help, or just make him _more_ miserable? Bucky had to be in those movies too. He wanted to see his friends so bad… No, not just see them. He could do that anytime with the pictures in History books even if they were a bit blurry compared to nowadays standards. Truth was, he wanted to _be_ with them, so much, but there was only one way to achieve that now.

"Loads!" Barton exclaimed, snapping him out of his dark thoughts once more. "And those are just the good ones. I wouldn't bother with the rest, though. Load of money-grabbing crap if you ask me, but you've gotta admit it ain't easy finding a bloke to play your part."

Steve took out his notepad. He used it mostly to sketch when he got too bored, but for once it would serve its purpose of taking actual notes. He dutifully wrote down the titles Barton had given him, not sure he would ever watch them, but just in case… After that, they talked movies for a while, even if Steve hadn't seen most of those Clint was talking about. He added some to his list he thought he might enjoy, and he had filled two pages by the time Steve left him to go grab something to eat in the employee's cafeteria. He was hungry and felt lighter than usual. Was it just talking to someone? Should he open up more? Take interest in the world around him? Try living? He still didn't feel like it. Why bother if he had to live through it alone?

Once he got back to his room though, the dark cloud of depression fell heavy over his shoulders once more. So, instead of spending the next few hours staring at the bland ceiling, he changed into his running clothes and retraced his steps back to the gym. He knew from experience hitting a bag would do him some good.

But as luck would have it, an alarm started blaring just a couple of hours in, and Steve, who had been so careful up to that point not to break the bags, sent his fist right through it at the sudden, strident sound. The speakers asked all personnel to evacuate immediately, which didn't bode well, and Steve knew with certainty where to find the culprit of this impending doom. He headed to the hangar, bumping into civilians and agents alike as they ran around like chickens with their heads cut off. Not very efficient, but he could understand their panic when he felt the very foundations of the building shake. Steve ran faster, made easier when the flow of civilians dwindled. Agents usually knew to say out of his way.

Steve was proven right in the end. It was the cube. He could see the eery blue light before he'd even crossed the door to the hangar. The darned thing was the cause of all the trouble, not so much sparking now but leaking energy everywhere and looking about to implode.

Spotting Fury and Clint facing the cube console, Steve headed their way and just had time to hear Selvig argue about the Tesseract when the monitors beeped in unisson and the whole facility shook and thundered around them, dust falling from the ceiling. They had to get the hell out of there before the whole complex fell on their heads.

But before he could reach them, a new blast of energy stronger than any he'd seen before from the cube shot across the room. It was like a beam of almost white light, and on the other end, a familiar sight started to take form. Another portal into space, just like the one in the Valkyrie's cockpit.

Steve took a defensive position, half expecting to see the Red Skull step out. He was not far off the mark. When the blinding light of the beam dissipated, it left behind a man crouched on the small platform. Out of breath and smiling like a madman as he unfolded to his full height, but human-looking enough, despite the horned helmet, but more importantly, he was armed.

"Sir, please drop your spear," Fury said while the agents and himself spread around him, guns out, or fists in his case since he had come straight from the gym.

The stranger didn't hesitate, just used his spear to shoot a bolt of blueish energy straight at Fury. Barton was closer and tackled him to the ground in the nick time, so Steve lunged at his attacker instead, one hand immobilising his spear while the other twisted his arm behind his back.

"Let go of your spear," Steve hissed in his ear when he wouldn't let go.

The man was as tall as him, and uncannily strong despite looking so lean. Steve was struggling just to keep him immobile. Was it possible Schmidt had found a new face?

"I think not," the man answered, and to his surprise, managed to twist around, snapping the spear out of his restraining grasp, then using his momentum to swing the blade around at him.

Steve jumped back but felt the burn of a cut across his chest. Bullets began raining down on the man, but incredibly, they stopped and had no effect on him. Steve recognized magic when he saw it. This wasn't the Red Skull, but he might be a wizard from Hermione's world. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be one of the good guys the way he wiped away half the security with his spear, and when Steve tried putting a stop to his rampage once more, the stranger turned on him, smirked, and shot him too.

The horned invader had taken them down within a few minutes.

Thanks to the serum, Steve knew he'd recover, but he doubted the others would be so lucky, and from what he could see, only Clint was still standing between this threat and the Tesseract. That's what this stranger was here for. Steve knew from experience what men like him did with such power, so he got back up, a bit shaky on his legs still, but he could feel the serum doing its work. However, before Steve could instigate another attack, the stranger had disarmed Clint and was pointing the tip of the spear to his chest.

"You... You have heart."

Suddenly, the archer's bright blue eyes turned completely black as if space itself had filled his body, then they became as blue as the Tesseract itself. Clint took the gun when it was handed back to him, but instead of aiming it at his attacker, he holstered it, standing at attention as if awaiting orders from him.

"Clint!" Steve shouted, trying to snap him out of his trance.

The stranger whirled around and aimed his spear at him once more. Steve wished he had his shield. He felt naked without it.

"You won't do," the other man said, looking into his eyes. "Pity."

Steve knew what was coming this time and rolled out of the way of the blue beam. He picked up a gun from a fallen agent on his way to cover and emptied the clip at his attacker, but once more, it had about as much effect as throwing pebbles at a wall. Meanwhile, havoc was being laid to the lab and more people were being killed or turned, bending to his will.

Suddenly, the Tesseract sent another beam of blinding white light, opening another portal. Steve cursed under his breath. It was hard enough dealing with this one, if he had reinforcement, it was going to be impossible to contain.

Steve picked up a large crate, hoping something larger would at least slow the first one down, before the next arrived, but one wave of his spear and the crate was stopped mid-air then thrown back his way with just as much force. Steve avoided it easily enough. Up close and personal seemed to be the only way, so Steve rushed him once more, only to be immediately flung back all the way to the far wall like a bothersome fly. A groan escaped him as he slid all the way down to the floor where he lay in a heap. Damn, that really hurt.

At least the diversion had given Fury enough time to retrieve the cube out of that damn machine before it summoned anyone else, and he was almost out of the room with it tucked snuggly in a safe case. Almost.

"Don't. I will be needing that," the horned stranger said flatly, stepping in his way and making him step back towards the platform.

"This doesn't have to get any messier," Fury said, but given the death and destruction already inflicted on them while this invader from another world didn't have so much as a scratch on him, Steve thought Fury was, quite frankly, talking out of his ass.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything less. I AM LOKI OF ASGARD AND I AM BURDENED WITH GLORIOUS PURPOSE!"

Fabulous. Another nutjob. Worse than the Red Skull himself by the looks of it too, but their purpose was always the same: to kill and conquer. However, this one seemed truly unstoppable. Steve had tried and failed several times. Right now, he was struggling just to get back up.

"Loki? Brother of Thor?" Selvig asked, stepping out from behind a desk.

"We have no quarrel with your people," Fury added.

"We're friends. Allies," Selvig said, taking another step closer.

Those words seemed to infuriate this Loki who snarled as he put the tip of his spear to Selvig's chest and turned him too.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," he said cooly.

"So you're planning to step on us?"

"I plan to set you free-"

The nutjob seemed about to monologue, as villains were want to do, but someone interrupted him, talking from the platform where Loki had appeared. Steve had almost forgotten about the second portal. Apparently, he wasn't the only one.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Steve couldn't see who it was, but he knew that tone of voice, that accent, as surely as he knew the sky was blue. He pushed himself past the pain, stumbling like a drunk man towards the most wonderful vision.

"Who the fuck are you?" Fury snapped back.

Loki had his head tipped to the side as he seemed to consider her, his spear already aiming her way, advancing slowly.

"Hermione!" Steve shouted in warning. "Don't let the spear touch you!"

If anyone had heart, it was her. He didn't want to get her back, only for her to be mind controlled by some madman.

"Steve?" she called back, her voice breaking as she tried to look past the other men, searching for him in the gloom of the destroyed lab.

True to himself, Fury used this new opportunity to make a run for it, but Barton shot him, without warning, without hesitation, and Loki advanced on Hermione with determined steps.

"No!" Steve shouted, fear giving him enough strength to run towards them.

He was so close. He would not let anything or anyone keep them apart again. Steve almost caught Loki but he twisted out of his grasp once more like the snake he was, resuming his steps towards Hermione as if he hadn't even noticed him.

Thankfully, she was on her guard now, hands raised and… glowing blue?


	19. Right Back at You

**A/n: Sorry for the typos that slipped through and my British-ism shining through.**

 **Thank you for all the amazing feedback. If I haven't replied, know it is loved, I am just squeezed for time.**

 **Enjoy my muse while it's there. You deserve it :)**

Hermione looked down at her hands, just as surprised as he was. Upon closer inspection, she seemed to be drawing on the energy the Tesseract had been leaking all this time and which pooled above them on the high vaulted ceiling in a swirling maelstrom.

She looked back at Loki with that wicked smile that had so terrified Bucky, then sent him flying with such force, his limp body embedded into the concrete wall. Steve smirked. See how the bastard liked a taste of his own medicine. Clint was out of the way now, helping his new master, which was a relief, because Steve wasn't sure how to deal with him. They had just began getting friendly and he didn't want to hurt the archer if he was acting against his will.

Steve hurried forward, Hermione jumping off the platform and into his arms as soon as he was close enough. Steve hugged her to him. She was solid, warm, _real_. She was really here. He buried his face into her wild hair, surprised to smell the familiar scent of the battlefield on her already.

"Get a move on, kids."

Steve startled at the rough voice. He's hadn't expected qto see Fury alive after getting shot multiple times in the back. Body armor, he supposed, but the SHIELD director still seemed in a load of pain if his frown and the way he was sweating was anything to go by.

"Take this to Coulson, or SHIELD, whichever you find first," he continued and thrust the case containing the Tesseract at him. "This whole place is coming down soon."

"What about you? You can't stop that guy, and I'd rather he didn't turn you into one of his puppets."

Fury grimaced and slumped a little.

"Can't run," he admitted.

"I can float him out," Hermione offered. "Looks like you're having trouble of your own."

Steve nodded. Running out of the base before it collapsed on them would already be pushing his limits after the thrashing he got.

"Let's go, then," Hermione urged him. "You lead. I don't have a fucking clue where I am."

Steve chuckled, checked Loki was still indisposed, then headed towards the door. There was an underground parking a level down. It was a risk, going down instead of up when the place was about to bury them under several feet of stone, but it might pay off. Worse case scenario they'd have to jog down the road to get out and pray they were fast enough. Hermione was a step behind him, Fury bobbing above her head with an expression of embarrassed anger which was hard not to laugh at. At least he didn't suffer of levitation-sickness like Morita, because they still had a ways to go. Or would have if the gun in his face hadn't stopped him short.

"Freeze!" The woman ordered. She had a SHIELD uniform, but that didn't mean much nowadays. Her eyes seemed normal enough though. "Drop… the Director. And the case."

"I'd rather she didn't," Fury growled from above. "Get us out of here, Hill. The complex is about to implode."

Hill looked about to argue, but thought better of it and holstered her gun. She spoke briefly into her talkie as she jogged them down a side tunnel Steve hadn't explored yet, but it turned out to be a shortcut to the road tunnel where a jeep was already waiting for them with a driver and engine running. Hermione settled the director in the front seat and they all piled in the back.

"Someone care to explain?" Hill asked.

Steve shrugged, not entirely sure himself. He only had eyes for Hermione right now, needing the proof she was really there. Hermione mirrored his shrug, but she was smiling from ear to ear, her gaze not leaving his. Fury groaned from the front seat.

"Tesseract summoned some nutjob from Asgard. Thor's brother. He flipped Barton, Selvig, at least three other agents, and was handing our asses over to us until Rogers' girlfriend arrived. Am I right to assume she's your girlfriend, Captain?"

"What? You mean-" Hill's chuckle died on her lips as she took a closer look at Hermione and her uniform. "Lady Liberty? How?"

"Don't ask me. One second I was in the Hydra base in the Alps and now I'm here. Where's here?" she asked him.

"New-Mexico. 2011," Steve said immediately, wishing someone had been more straightforward with him when he woke up. Besides, Hermione wasn't a stranger to time jumps herself.

"Oh. That explains a lot."

"It does?" Hill exclaimed with an incredulous tone. "How-"

A blue bolt of energy whizzed past them, cutting Hill off short and taking out the rear view mirror as well as a part of the windshield. The jeep swerved and grazed the tunnel's wall, sending sparks flying everywhere. Steve pulled Hermione to him then looked behind, not surprised to see Loki and his puppets coming after them.

"Whatever happens, he must not get his hands on the cube," Fury said.

Hermione wiggled out of his grasp, intent on the car behind them.

"You can't lift a car," Steve said, knowing it was too heavy for her for having tried during the war.

She tried anyway, but it merely lost control for a second.

"Umph, I was hoping I still had blue hands. Maybe the driver, think he put his seat belt on?"

Steve winced. He recognized that agent, even if he was now working for Loki.

"Do it," Furi said.

The driver was yanked right out of his seat, landing on the road behind where he rolled several times. He might make it if the complex above them didn't bury him alive. With no one behind the wheel, their jeep lost ground on them before Barton hopped in the vacant seat.

Steve ducked behind the seat when he saw another blue bolt heading straight for them, pulling down the two women with him. Luck was not on their side this time. The bolt hit their driver right behind the head and he slumped forward, hitting the gas pedal and blocking the wheel. Fury was trying to kick him out to the side while Hermione tried levitating him, but too late, the car swerved against the wall again, hit a bump, then flipped over. Hermione's still active levitation spell must have helped because they sort of bounced right off the asphalt on the first impact instead of crushing them. To pieces. Unfortunately, with the speed they had been going at, they rolled over a couple more times and got stuck under the jeep.

"Fuckin'hell," Fury muttered.

Good, he was still alive. Hermione and Hill, he could still feel breathing, so that meant they'd all made it relatively intact, excerpt for the poor sod who had been driving them. Under normal circumstances, Steve could lift a car, but these were anything but. If he hadn't been beaten to a pulp just before and if he wasn't pinned at an awkward angle, maybe, but…

"Damn it," Steve cursed under his breath when he realized what was missing. .

"You got _more_ good news, Captain?"

"The case, it slid way over there."

Steve jutted his chin out towards the opposite side of the tunnel where the small briefcase had stopped its course. He tried pushing the car up, muscles straining, and he moved it, but not enough to free them. He needed help.

"Hermione. Hermione, wake up, love."

With their powers combined, they could do it, but Fury shushed him and pointed towards where the case was. Sure enough, the other jeep had stopped next to it. Clint jumped out and picked it up, then his Tesseract-blue eyes narrowed in on them. He looked their way, then at his jeep. Steve held his breath. They could finish them right now, shoot them down like dogs where they lay, unable to defend themselves. That explained why Fury wanted to play dead. The ground shook and stone fell around them, large chunks of them. When the cloud of dust dissipated, Barton, the Tesseract and the jeep had disappeared.

"Now would be the time to wake Lady Liberty," Fury said, voice raspy from the dust they had breathed in.

Steve wished there was an easier way, but all he could do was call her name as he shook her shoulders gently.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Just give her a good slap. Wake her right up," Fury growled.

"I can't do that!" Steve protested.

Fury huffed, rolling his eyes, then leaned over, wincing in pain at the movement, to slap her back into consciousness. Steve's hand gripped Fury's hand before he could try it again, and they glared at each other, locked in a silent argument over the treatment of dames. Steve was the first to look away when he felt the buildup of magic next to him.

"Now you've done it," he told Fury as magic began to grow in pressure around Hermione.

On the bright side, she was unconsciously pushing the jeep up so Steve wiggled around the newfound space beneath him until he was in a good position to push the car up.

"Get out," he told Fury. "Grab Hill if you can and run before Hermione explodes."

"Files about her sure were incomplete," he muttered but followed his instructions and rolled out from under the car.

His leather-clad arm soon appeared on the other side, dragging the unconscious SHIELD agent away painfully slowly. At this rate, they were going to get caught in the magical backlash. But he couldn't worry too much about them as he already had enough on his hands. Now that they were out of harm's way, Steve braced his feet on the right side near Hermione and pushed up as hard as he could. The jeep tipped up on its side, wavering for a moment there as if undecided whether to crush them or give them a break for once. Steve let out a breath of relief when it tipped over to the left to land back on its wheels. He wondered if it would still work, but first, he needed to take cover. Hermione was about to burst and could really pack a punch when that happened, so he took cover on the other side of the car. He could just make out Fury's silhouette now, , hobbling down the tunnel as he helped Hill along. Man had probably slapped her back to consciousness too, but at least they were now far enough that Hermione's discharge of magic didn't reach them. It did a number on the Jeep however, and he didn't even try to start it up, just picked up his girl in his arms and hurried towards the light at the end of the tunnel while Hermione slowly woke up, blinking up at him like the first time she had discharged on top of the tank, a cute air of confusion about her.

"I think I'm going to miss the Forties," she said.

Steve had to laugh at that given how much she had complained about how backwards society was back then.

"I doubt it's going to get any better," Steve agreed, because _he_ still had to get used to modern times too. "But at least I've got you."

Medic teams took them in charge as soon as they made it out to fresh air, despite him telling them they only needed a bit of rest. Steve drew the line at them trying to separate them though. There was no way he was letting Hermione out of his sight. He had so many questions to ask her, so much to tell her, but all he wanted right now was to hold her and kiss her to his heart's content. Not an easy task with all the activity buzzing around them. He had to wait until they were put in a plane with other SHIELD personnel from the complex for some modicum of privacy.

"What's SHIELD? Is it named after your shield?" Hermione asked.

Steve had opened his mouth to answer it was the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, then closed it again. He hadn't even thought of it that way. It almost seemed to make more sense than that overlong and complicated acronym.

"Don't think so," he finally said with a chuckle. "But it was founded by Peggy, Howard and Phillips, so… "

"It is _so_ named after your shield," Hermione concluded. "Are you working for them? How long have you been here? Who was that psychopath with the spear?"

She added a dozen more questions to the list and he spent the better part of the plane ride filling her in before they fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion, leaning against each other as they held hands. He had plenty of questions of his own to ask: where she had been? How she had found him? Why her hands glowed blue? Not to mention that when he had dreamed of being reunited with her, it had always been a whole lot more romantic, but he wouldn't have it any other way. This is who they were.

…

"You wake them up."

"Are you crazy? It's almost sacrilegious. Those two are like… legends. It would be like waking up dragons… Or Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia."

"You realize none of those are real."

"Shut up! You know what I mean."

"Nerd."

" _You_ wake them if you're so keen."

"No!"

"You'd rather tell the director you couldn't do it? At least I've got an excuse."

"Want to know where he'll shove your-"

The hushed whispers woke Steve up and he blinked at the two young SHIELD agents who abruptly stopped bickering, only to stare at him like two startled rabbits, nose twitching and all.

"Fury wants to see us?" Steve asked, having processed the tail end of their conversation.

"Yessir!" they answered in unison. Cute.

"Take us to your leader," Hermione said, having woken up too, now giggling next to him. "What's with the gaping?" she asked in a whisper when their guides and many other agents they crossed paths with, gaped at them.

"We're kind of a popular thing. They made movies about us and the team."

"Really? That's a bit weird... Did you watch them?"

"I might now."

"Movie night?"

"You betcha."

"It's a date then."

Their banter died down as they were led into a large control room buzzing with activity. Fury stood on a platform to give orders to his minions below, but he swished around to greet them. Well… Greet them was a generous way to describe his: "Sit."

But they did. Man looked to be in a foul mood. Steve wondered if he had even bothered to stop by the infirmary, but he supposed they were in the middle of a crisis and a few bruised ribs could wait. He was glad he had made them sit though, because the _boat_ they had landed on was taking up to the _air_.

"Okay, I'm officially impressed," Hermione commented lightly.

"Cars still not flying though," Steve pointed out.

"You two…" Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, let's cut the crap. Loki has the Tesseract, several of my best agents and an astrophysicist. It's bad. I need _you-"_

"Me, or him? I'm not sure who your eye is looking at," Hermione asked, waving between them. "Because I was fighting nazis just this morning and I was hoping to take a hot shower, maybe even a bath, and sleep in a real bed when the war ended, and you're just asking me to sign up for another one?"

Steve winced. She had a point. He had had several weeks himself to rest and wrap his head around the fact the war had truly ended. Hermione had just walked straight from 1945 into 2011. She was still wearing her Lady Liberty uniform, splattered with the blood of her enemies and in rather poor shape from having been worn across half of Europe. A lock of her curly hair was still sticking out, singed from when she'd had a narrow miss with the flamethrower. Ideally, she should take a break.

Fury's mouth snapped shut as he stared at her.

"That, I did not know," Fury conceded. "I would apologize, however, the situation is dire and you are the only one who has had any success at stopping Loki. The world needs you. That said, I will arrange for you, the both of you, to have a comfortable room with a shower attached if that's all it takes."

"Still a better deal than I got with the US Army," Hermione grumbled to herself.

"So you want us to join SHIELD?" Steve asked.

Coulson had been nagging him for days to officially join since he was a consultant of sorts on the Tesseract, so he wasn't surprised by the offer.

"Yes. I am gathering several people with useful skill sets as we speak, and I intend to have you working together to stop Loki and secure the Tesseract."

"Like a team?" Hermione asked.

"Ideally," the note of defeat in his reply did not go unnoticed, so Steve wondered what sort of individuals he was gathering and how they could possibly be worse that the Howling Commando.

"What do you think?" Steve asked her. "We can just walk away if that's what you want."

"Can we, though?" Hermione sighed. "Loki must be using magic to control the minds of people. What if I really am the only chance we have at stopping him, magic against magic. And there's the Tesseract…"

Steve nodded. They both had a history with the damn thing and she probably felt just as responsible for it than he did. Hermione returned her focus to Fury.

"If you want me to go toe to toe with this Loki, I'm going to need more tricks than levitation. I need something that was stolen from me, and I suspect it was aboard the Valkyrie when Steve crashed it in 45."

Fury hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I don't recall any weapons logged into the finds around the crash site, apart from your shield, Captain, which we will return to you as soon as possible. Stark industries were responsible for the find, so you will have to get in touch with them directly for personal effects."

"Stark? I thought Howard-" Steve said in confusion. Not many of his former friends were still alive and those who were very, very old. He doubted they would even remember him.

"His son, Tony Stark. He's not an easy person to deal with, but I think your request will go over better if you ask him directly. Agent Hill will give you his contact numbers."

Hermione nodded decisively, a sharp glint in her eyes. She would be much safer with her wand. Steve would do anything to get it back to her.

"One last thing," she added. "I'm not wearing this… costume."

She held up a fold of her green uniform between two fingers with her nose wrinkled.

"I'm sure our engineering team can come up with something better," Fury assured before glancing his way. "I'm afraid agent Coulson already had a hand in your uniform ever since we found you in the ice."

Steve groaned then had to explain to Hermione that the man was a "fan". She covered her mouth, but her shoulders shook with silent laughter. He loved seeing her so happy, but he guessed it was part exhaustion and part relief at finding themselves together once more, safe and whole, and that once she had gotten over the shock of it all, she might feel different. However, he would bask in the moment for as long as it lasted. Fury must have had enough of it because he told them to scamper off before they made him nauseous, which was fine by him. They followed a new agent to their assigned room.

"Bunk beds," Hermione said. "Of course."

Steve snaked his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest.

"As if that ever stopped us before," he crooned in her ear, enjoying the way she shivered against him.

She wiggled in his arms until she was facing him and lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him chastely, just a peck of her lips before she backed away. Steve pouted.

"I smell of 1945," she explained and headed for the bathroom. "Help me wash it off?"

Steve didn't need to be asked twice. He shed his shirt before he was even through the door and helped her out of her battle-encrusted uniform. She still had a couple of grenades attached to her belt, which he carefully set aside, before helping her with her boots. They got a little sidetracked, touching leading to kissing, desire flaring between them. Steve was so hard, even getting rid of his pants wasn't much of a relief and he had Hermione pinned against the shower's wall as soon as her last item of clothing dropped to the floor. He held her up and fumbled for the taps, hissing at the cold water hitting his back before it got to the right temperature. He shifted Hermione under the steady stream and kissed her neck, rocking gently against her.

"Reckon they're still good?" Hermione asked breathlessly, holding up a familiar looking army-issued condom wrapper.

Steve chuckled.

"Time-jumps aside, they should be fine."

Steve took one and Hermione levitated the others back to her uniform. He rolled it up on himself, anticipation making him buck against her as soon as he was done. It had been a while. Offers from many, many women, and men, had come his way, but he had been certain he would end his life a bitter old celibate. He was happy to be proved wrong though. His cock too as he thrust into Hermione. It was hard, fast, and a bit desperate, this need for the other, to reconnect, to make their hearts beat again and fill the space where another was missing.


	20. A Stark Contrast

**A/N: As I'm actively jobhunting, please forgive sparse updates and my lack of reply to your comments. Know I love every last one of them!**

"And you're really not worried about using your wand with your magic, blue hands and all?" Steve asked Hermione as they leisurely walked across New York.

They were headed to the Stark Tower where they had a meeting with Virginia Potts, the new CEO of Stark Industries, and had decided to take the opportunity to rediscover their New York instead of speeding through its streets in a SHIELD-issued car, complete with driver.

"That only happened once, and you know it. Besides, my magic has been acting up for so long now, I don't think it will settle down anytime soon. Either I use the wand and it doesn't work for me, or… breaks." She swallowed hard and took a deep breath before continuing. "Or it doesn't work at all for me anymore. Either way, I have to at least try of we want to defeat this Loki fellow. Nothing to lose, right?"

"So… We just wing it?" Steve concluded.

"Isn't that what we do half the time anyway?"

" _I_ have a plan. It's everyone else who's so bad at following it!"

"You keep telling yourself that," Hermione chuckled before she froze mid-step, squinting upwards. "Wow. That is one ugly building."

Steve dragged his eyes away from Hermione and followed her line of sight to one of the tallest buildings around, slightly curved on one side and with a narrower top.

"Is it just me or does that look like one giant dick?" he asked in a disbelieving whisper.

"No… it's not just you… _this time_."

Steve huffed and hip-checked her playfully, but she retaliated by making him levitate for a second, just low enough to make him stumble. He caught himself before he crashed into any passers-by, but his cheeks burned from embarrassment. She won this round, like many others. The team had regretted starting a prank war with her back in the day. She was kind of devious.

"After you."

He held open the door for Hermione. Everyone always said he had such good manners, but really, it gave him an admirable view on his girl's shapely behind as she walked past him. He was glad she could wear jeans again in public without being molested. Dames in pants were, without a doubt, his favourite thing in the future. It was a visible sign of the equality they had struggled for, and not even the most provocative of clothes women wore in this time and age.

The secretary at the front desk sent them right up without a second glance, even after giving their names, which was a nice change from all the gawking they had gotten lately. Looking at his surroundings, Steve had to admit the tower looked better on the inside. The reception hall was so spacious you could fit his flat in it several times over, but it was luminous, every surface gleaming to a fault, and the whole thing screamed of money, which wasn't surprising seeing the empire Howard had built.

"Do you think we'll get to meet Howard's son?" Hermione asked, echoing his own thoughts while they sped upwards in the elevator.

No music, Steve noted. Score two for the future. He should keep tabs.

"I'm not sure. Miss Potts was rather vague about that, wasn't she?"

Hermione nodded with a thoughtful expression on her face, but Steve attributed that more to finding her wand than any real worry about a man they had never met, even if he was their friend's son. Arriving at their floor, the elevator did not ding, the doors sliding smoothly open without a sound instead, revealing a stunning ginger lady in a tailored, white skirt-suit waiting for them. Hermione would look good in one of those, not that it would stay on her long if he had to be honest. And images of Hermione in white invariably led him back to the promise he'd made himself to make things right between them and ask for her hand in marriage, but emergencies had a knack of getting in the way.

"Captain Rogers, Sergeant Granger, it's an honour to meet you both. I'm Virginia Potts. Pepper. I mean, you can call me Pepper."

Her cheeks were a bit flushed, and she was talking faster than a flustered Morita, but Steve noted her handshake was much more enthusiastic when shaking Hermione's hand than his own. Looked like his girl had found a fan of her own. Pepper led them to her office, all high windows that overlooked the city. The view was breathtaking. The New York he had know unrecognizable, both in a good and a bad way.

"From what I understood during our phone call, you're looking for a specific item that may have been found on the last Arctic expedition? Would you care to be more specific? Everything has been catalogued so I can search for it in the database immediately if you give me a few details."

Hermione glanced at him and he nodded. Miss Potts seemed trustworthy and it's not like this information could be used against them.

"It's a small object made of wood, about eleven inches long," Hermione mimed the length and shape as she spoke, describing it in minute detail as if it was her very own hand, until she was cut off by a new arrival.

"I'll be damned! If it isn't Captain Antifreeze and Mini-Liberty!"

"Tony," Pepper admonished while Hermione stifled a laugh behind her hand. "I _told_ you they'd be here, so your tardiness is absolutely inexcusable."

As far as first impressions went, Steve wasn't all that impressed, but he'd give him the benefit of the doubt since he was Howard's son. He certainly looked a lot like him, so much so, it was hard not to stare. Hermione was having the same problem by the looks of her, but Stark didn't seem to mind being ogled, so Steve left the beautiful view by the window to stand behind Hermione, eyeing the other man warily. He knew trouble when he saw it.

"I remember that thing. Wood," Stark snorted. "Couldn't figure out what was so special about it, but it was kept in a secure case, so there had to be _something_. Bugged me for days something fierce. I'll return it, of course…"

Steve could feel the "but" coming from a mile away.

"... if you tell me what it is."

"Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, appalled. "You can't blackmail Lady Liberty."

"Aha, so it's _yours_ ," Stark smirked and inched closer to her, lowering his voice as if in confidence. "What is it? You can tell me. I'll take your secret to the grave. Cross my heart and-"

"It's a very pretty stick," Hermione deadpanned. Steve let her have her fun. Stark was going to learn he was messing with the wrong person. "You know, to make chignons."

"Chignons," Stark repeated in a confused, flat voice.

"Hair buns," Hermione explained, using her levitation trick to twist her own hair around in a messy pile on top of her head, then taking one of the pens on Pepper's desk to pin it in place.

"I don't believe your for a second," Stark said, staring at her hair as if it might bite.

"You wanted an answer. You never specified you wanted the truth," she replied innocently, batting her eyelashes with such exaggeration, only a fool would not realized he was being played.

Stark looked shocked for a second, then began laughing.

"Oh, I do like you, Miss Liberty. You're nothing like the bimbos they used in the movies. You should sue the studios."

"Bimbos?" Steve asked with a touch of worry. He hadn't a clue what it meant, but it certainly didn't sound nice.

"All boobs and no brains," Hermione supplied with a shrug.

"What? We _should_ sue," Steve said darkly.

Hermione was the smartest dame he knew. Making her out to be anything less was an insult.

"It's Hollywood. It sells. Bet you're a giant knucklehead in those movies," Hermione said with a teasing smile.

"You kind of are, actually," Stark said and whether he was agreeing with Hermione or just insulting him was anyone's guess. At Pepper's resigned sigh, Steve concluded the man simply had no filter whatsoever on him. "Alright, as promised, I'll have the wood thingy delivered right to your door ASAP."

"I don't want some random chum handling it. I'd rather retrieve it myself. Right now, if possible."

"For a hair emergency?"

"Well, you know how bimbos are with their hair."

"Oh man, Peps! Now I know why you've been fangirling over her all these years! She had a poster of you in her room, you know?" Stark said in a stage whisper which Pepper obviously heard anyway. "Come on, I'll give you two fossiles a ride. I think I left your mystery-wood-thingy in my old lab."

Pepper's fingers danced across the keyboard, a frown darkening her face the more she typed.

"Tony… Did you even bother logging the item out of storage. The inventory says it's still there."

Stark shrugged, already walking out of the office.

"As long as _I_ know where it is, what does it matter? You guys coming?"

"Thank you for your help, Ma'am," Steve said, waiting until Pepper had said her goodbyes to Hermione, which consisted of given her a card and inviting her out for a dinner between girls.

"She's nice," Hermione said as she slipped the card in her pocket. "Why does it make me so suspicious?"

"You just walked off a battlefield. It'll take you a little while to adjust to civilian life," Steve reassured her, taking her hand to lead her back to the elevator. God knew he had needed some time before he stopped reaching out for his missing shield at every unexpected sound and shadow.

"Except we just joined SHIELD. I doubt I'll _need_ to adjust."

"SHIELD, eh?" Stark butted in. "Didn't take them long to nab you two. When did you get here, Missy? Because I clearly remember you not pulling a sleeping beauty next to your Capsicle."

"Yesterday."

"Hu. I'm guessing it's no use asking you how?"

"Nope," Hermione confirmed. Stark fidgeted as the lift took them back down without a sound. "You can't stand not knowing, can you?" she needled.

"I'll find out eventually. I always do."

Steve chuckled. His father, Howard, had been a bit of a gossip too. Not surprising given the number of spying devices he had created for them. He'd had to test them on someone after all, but as a result, he couldn't stand _not_ knowing something.

"But I thought hacking into SHIELD with two _SHIELD_ agents standing right next to me was a bit cocky, even by my standards."

"Hacking?" Steve asked Hermione quietly. He still had _a lot_ to catch up on, and had only recently found a reason to bother getting up to date.

"Uhm. That's a tough one, even for me. It's using your computer to spy into other people's computers?"

"Basically," Stark agreed before rounding on him with a shit-eating grin. "Didn't you get here long before her."

"Sort of," Steve replied with a similar grin, the one that said he had a secret and he was not sharing it. "But not really."

In the perfect timing Fate sometimes allowed him, the elevator doors opened and Steve walked out with Hermione's arm tucked under his. Stark didn't give up though and tried getting answers out of them from every angle, even as he drove them like a maniac across town to an older mansion, complete with wrought-iron gates and elaborate yard. Such a place had to cost a fortune, but he liked it. It had an old charm about it, something of the old New York, of _his_ New York.

Amongst the lavish interior decorated with tapestries, paintings and statues, framed pictures hung on the walls of Howard and his family. Steve didn't recognize his wife, but baby Tony Stark was an adorable little thing. Shame Steve never got to attend his friend's wedding, or bounce his kid on his knee, left instead with this slightly irksome adult version who was a lot like Howard, and yet so different.

Stark got them through a door that needed both his handprint and a number code before they reached what looked the very picture of a mad scientist's lab. He riffled through the top of a table covered in papers, tablets and tools, before triumphantly holding up Hermione's wand. Steve recognized it immediately. Hermione, for her part looked ecstatic and relieved, but it soon turned to worry as her hand, which had been reaching for it until then, paused in mid-air.

"Maybe I should wait for a safe environment before I touch it…" she said with obvious reluctance. "Just in case."

"Just in case what?" Stark needled, twirling the wand in his hand. "It's just wood."

"You know nothing, Mister Stark. I've been known to explode, and this might set me off and destroy this whole room."

"Are you even human?"

"Of course I am. Don't be silly."

"Yeah, right, because people explode _all the time_ and just walk it off," he mumbled like a sullen child before brightening up just as fast. "But I so happen to have a room I used for unstable experiments. You can use that, but it'll only fit you," Stark said, eyeing Steve who had admittedly been staying as close to Hermione as he decently could since she was returned to him.

"How much damage can it contain?"

"Let's just say my first drafts often ended up in smoke. Are you made of C4? Is it like spontaneous combustion?"

"No and no. The safe room?"

It was really just an alcove in his lab, and lucky for them Hermione didn't suffer from claustrophobia, because despite the room being made of clear glass on one side - reinforced and as solid as steel according to Stark - it was nethertheless quite small. Once she had stepped in and turned around, Stark deposited the wand on the floor at her feet.

"You sure about this?" Steve asked, still worried about the blue magic and whatever the Tesseract had done to her magic in Schmidt's lab. It felt like ages ago, but her magic had never been the same as what she had showed him before they went to war. Then, it had been tame, beautiful and practical, but after the Tesseract, her magic had become wild, more destructive and neigh uncontrollable. Let's just say it was a good thing all around Hermione was a good witch.

"I'll be fine, Steve. I always am, right? "

"Famous last words," Stark muttered next to him, and Steve kind of agreed, fighting the urge to take her wand and hide it.

With a final nod of reassurance, Stark closed the door and gave her a unenthusiastic thumbs up. Hermione took a deep breath while Steve held his own, then she leaned over and gingerly touched her wand with the tips of her fingers. Nothing happened and Steve began to relax. Hermione then picked it up and it shot out blue sparks from its tip.

"That normal?" Stark asked him.

"Don't think so," Steve replied, but only because he had never seen it do so before.

Hermione seemed surprised too, but not alarmed, and she began twirling it, saying words they couldn't hear through the secure glass door. Small blue birds appeared and flew around her head like a crown.

"Is _that_ normal?"

"Yeah, that's more like it," Steve said with relief.

She'd used a spell and there was no explosion. Her wand worked and her magic too. Everything was under control. She would be the powerful witch she used to be, not that Lady Liberty with only her levitation spell at her disposal hadn't been, but against an opponent like Loki, he feared she would need more than one trick in her bag. Hermione pointed her wand at the door and it opened on its own, drawing an outraged protest from Stark.

"That's a wand!" Stark said when she stepped out of the safe room, pointing at it. "It's an honest to God magic wand! Why didn't it work with me? Do you have to know the magic words? Is there a magic school? Can _you_ teach me?"

"No," Hermione said with a chuckle. "It only works for me. Sorry."

"So you're a magician? A sorceress?" he looked at the birds still twittering around her head. "A fairy?"

"A witch. But don't tell anyone. Colonel Phillips thought it would frighten our own people and now is not the time to make more enemies."

"Gotcha," Stark agreed but Steve worried that he was already typing on his phone. "Can I just tell Pepper?"

"No one. No offense, but I don't know her."

Stark reluctantly put his phone away while another rang. It took Steve an embarrassingly long time to realize it was his.

"Steve Rogers," he said once he'd managed to press the ridiculously small button to pick up the call.

"Agent Coulson speaking. We have a hit on Loki in Stuttgart, Germany. It's time to suit up."

They thanked Stark for his help and hurried out to hail a taxi when Hermione slapped her forehead, realizing she could just magic them back on the Helicarrier now that she had her wand back.

"But… it moves. I thought you needed a fixed place to teleport."

"The whole planet is in constant movement," Hermione explained with her usual patience. "It's the specific place I'm apparating to, in this case the Helicarrier's bridge, no matter where it is. Well… within reasonable distance."

"As long as you're sure."

Hermione had explained splinching to him and he didn't want to experience that, not even with his enhanced healing, but he would always trust her with his life. She smiled at him and took his hand, the horrendous feeling of being squeezed back to the size he used to be as a sickly runt overwhelmed him for the space of a blink before he expanded back into his full size, right in the control room next to Fury. The man must have nerves of steel because he didn't even flinch.

"You got your weapon back I take it?" he asked and Hermione nodded. "Good, because Loki is wreaking havoc as we speak. Can you teleport there too?"

"Something like that," Hermione said.

"Good. Suit up and be on your way. Bring me that son of a bitch."

They saluted and left for the locker room. His own suit was… colorful. Very patriotic. And tight. As tight as a second skin, but Hermione seemed to approve. Funny because her own was just as tight and she didn't like it at all.

"Look at the bright side, you won't trip on your skirt anymore. And it's a much nicer green than the original."

It had sleek lines all down the front that mimicked folds of cloth though and when Hermione snapped a sort of crown around her head, made of spikes that could cut or tase but also kept her wild curls out of her face, she never looked more like the Statue of Liberty as she did right then. She was a sight to behold and if only they had more time, he'd be peeling her right out of her catsuit again. Maybe keep the crown.

A polite cough behind them pulled him out of his thoughts though and he turned around to see Agent Coulson, who was either constipated or trying very hard not to grin like a madman.

"Your shield, Captain. Got here just in time, I see. Your uniform fits you well."

Remembering Clint's offhand comment that he had not been very warm towards Coulson, or anyone really, to the point the poor man hadn't dared ask him to sign his Captain America trading cards, Steve thought now was as good a time to correct that. Going into battle, every time could be the last chance he got to set right his wrongs.

"It does," Steve answered, flashing his best camera smile. "I heard you had a hand in the design, thanks for that."

"It was my pleasure," Coulson replied with a light blush creeping up his neck, just past his collar. "Yours looks very nice too, Lady Liberty. It's an honour to meet you."

"Agent Coulson," she said as she shook his hand. "The pleasure is all mine. Steve told me so much about you." Coulson looked stunned for a moment and Steve elbowed Hermione for laying it on a bit too thick. "But we really need to go now."

"Yes, of course. Loki was last spotted in Königstraße in Stuttgart. May I ask how you will be travelling there?"

"Portkey," Hermione replied, handing Steve a towel for some reason but not letting go of it herself. "Activate."

The towel glowed blue for the blink of an eye and they were gone. This mode of travelling was similar to Hermione's teleportation, and yet different. Instead of being squeezed through a tube, he was being spun around as if taking a spin in the washer. Steve wasn't sure which was worse and his super-stomach gave a lurch when he found his footing again in the dark street of a German city full of screaming people.

"Mustn't be far," Hermione noted as if the travel had had no effect whatsoever on her.

"Yeah… Uhm… That way," Steve said, taking deep breaths to settle his stomach as he pointed towards a brightly lit building with old columns. A museum, if he wasn't mistaken. All the while, he wondered if he could hitch a ride back to avoid another Portkey travel when they captured Loki. Given the way Hermione was looking at him, half amused, half worried, she wasn't fooled by his nonchalance.

Civilians suddenly poured out of the museum, their screams growing louder, then ran right by them. Women in revealing gowns that sparkled under the streetlights and men in their best black suits, all throwing terrified glances behind them. Steve looked up the steps to the museum's entrance just in time to see Loki walk out, his modern clothes glowing with a golden hue as they transformed into the strange armor he had first appeared in, his dratted spear held as high as his arrogant weasel face.

A couple of police cars suddenly appeared around the corner, siren and lights blazing, but far from deterring Loki, the bastard didn't even hesitate before he blasted them out of the way and sent them spinning across the pavements and into buildings.

"Kneel!" Loki commanded, his voice echoing all around them as doubles of himself appeared all around the street, stopping the people from fleeing.

Steve had no intention to kneel, although most people did, and Hermione snorted at the command.

"I said… KNEEL!"

Only he, Hermione and an older gentleman were left standing. The latter gave Steve a tired smile, which he returned with a nod, while Loki narrowed his eyes at them. Recognition finally sparked a second later.

"The soldier out of time," he said with a mocking tone. "And his companion, the magic-wielder."

Hermione winced but held her head up high, as well as her wand. Steve readied his shield. It was time to take an Asgardian god down a peg or two.


	21. Trickery

**A/N: Thanks for all the well-wishes on the job hunt. I did find one as care-giver for the elderly and I am looking forward to it! Wish me luck! I will do my best to keep the updates coming too :)**

Steve flung his shield at Loki using all his strength. A decapitation was unlikely since the target was stronger and faster than an average human. In fact, Loki avoided his attack easily with a laugh and a taunt, but that had been the aim: to distract him. Hermione's attack came a beat after his own to bind him in ropes which sprung from the tip of her wand, coiling around him like snakes, but before Steve had time to rejoice, Loki turned them into real snakes. They slid down his body and were sent right back at them. The hostages began to scramble and scream, before they fled, preferring the wrath of a madman over the bite of the snakes. Loki did seem a bit put out by that and he vanished his now useless doubles. Hermione didn't waste another second though and sent a volley of coloured spells at him. His spear blocked them with ease however and Steve was beginning to wonder if fighting magic with magic was really the answer. Loki was advancing on her too, like an unstoppable wave, while she continued casting more frantically at him, seeming bewildered than nothing ever hit. Steve ran right at Loki to tackle him so Hermione could regroup, but he went right through him.

"A double!" he warned Hermione, just in time for her to shoot up in the sky with her levitation.

It had to be a trap. They scanned their surroundings. Steve was quite frankly pissed he had been fooled by such a childish trick, but he also knew the Asgardian had to still be around here for his magic to work if it had any similarity to Hermione's. A blue bolt of energy shot out of the shadows, heading straight for her, an easy target in the night sky. She must have expected it and summoned a shield because the energy dissolved around an invisible dome. Next thing Steve knew, Loki was being yanked out of the shadows like a rag doll and thrust his way. Steve smirked and got ready, planting his feet on the cobblestones as he pulled his fist back. The punch, when it connected, made a sickening sound and sent Loki's helmet flying, before he too fell, rolling several times on the street before coming to a stop.

Steve approached the seemingly unconscious body with caution. He wouldn't underestimate the Asgardian this time. He was as devious as they came. Loki stirred, his spear coming up between them, keeping him just out of arm's reach as he picked himself up. But it was two against one and Steve used the second he glanced at Hermione to attack again. He kept him in close enough combat that his spear was mostly useless. If it wasn't so important they stop Loki, he would admit it was kind of fun being able to fight someone by giving it his all, not pulling his punches less he shatter all his opponent's bones. And this Loki was a master at dodging too, and fast to boot.

But Steve doubted he could subdue him on his own, so, catching a glance of his girl about ready to do her worst, Steve flipped Loki over his shoulder so he was mid-air and hopefully a bit disoriented when the spell hit.

It wasn't flashy like the others and maybe that's why Loki couldn't counter it. Steve only knew he had been hit because his limbs locked up tight as if he had been turned to stone, dropping with a thud at his feet. Steve nudged him with him boot, but Loki didn't wince, didn't grunt, his chest didn't even seem to be moving, but that was hard to ascertain because of all the armor and drapes he was wearing. Hermione approached cautiously, wand at the ready.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Steve asked.

"Don't tempt me. No, I just petrified him. The spell usually lasts an hour, but I don't trust it to last that long on him since he's not human."

"Better tie him up then."

"Rope or handcuffs?"

"Uhm, kinky," said a loud voice sounding like it was emitted through speakers.

Steve looked around, shield ready to protect Hermione in case Loki had some back up. Now that he thought about it, it was strange he hadn't. Where were all his minions? For now, all he could see was a _flying robot_ , and he didn't know yet whether he was friend or foe. It landed in front of them, its face tilted towards their petrified opponent.

"Looks like I'm late to the party. Guess he wasn't the bogeyman Fury made him out to be."

"Fury sent you?"

"Nobody _sends_ me." Despite the distortion of the voice through speakers, Steve couldn't miss the note of derision it held. "But he did send her," he added, pointing a finger at an incoming Quinjet.

It was good to have another ally, albeit quite a strange one. Steve wondered if there was someone _in_ the robot, or just piloting it from afar. The future was still a bit confusing.

"Rushman!" the robot greeted the redhead who walked out of the Quinjet. "I must admit, the catsuit is a good look on you. On you too, Lady Liberty, of course. All women should wear catsuits. Wait, that was a bit sexist, wasn't it? I take it back. We should _all_ wear catsuits. I bet I'd look _fantastic_ in one."

"I'll take him," the woman he called Rushman said, ignoring the robot's chatter completely. "Captain, Sergeant, if you wouldn't mind accompanying me to keep an eye on the prisoner?"

Steve nodded his agreement, but the robot protested.

"Wait! What about me? Aren't I invited?"

"I thought you liked to _fly solo_?" Rushman said pointedly. Those two evidently had a history.

"Yeah… But this looks more fun."

"Suit yourself," Rushman agreed dryly before heading back to the Quinjet.

Hermione shrugged and levitated Loki as she followed her while he made a detour to pick up both the spear and the ugliest helmet he'd had the misfortune to see. What was up with those impractical horns? The thing was heavy too.

"Here, you might need these."

Steve looked at the robot walking beside him with a constant mechanical whir. In his perfectly articulate fingers was a pair of large handcuffs that even he would have difficulties breaking out of.

"Thanks," Steve said, appreciating the weight of the cuffs. "So do you work for SHIELD? Fury didn't mention we would have backup."

"You don't know who I am, do you?"

"Erm, no," Steve admitted with a sheepish smile before the robot's faceplate flipped up and Tony Stark's face was there smirking at him.

He must have been enjoying whatever expression he was making because he chuckled and clapped him on the back as if they were old buddies.

"I feel I _should_ be offended, but it's actually nice to surprise someone for once. Not that I'm predictable, but everyone knows literally everything about me."

"Really? That sounds awful. Hey, Hermione! " he called to catch her attention before he tossed her the handcuffs after she had deposited her burden. When she was done securing the prisoner, he waved her over, pointing at Stark. "Guess who the robot is?"

Her mouth shaped into an O of surprise and she hurried over.

"Mister Stark! I never would have guessed. Your suit of armour is amazing! It's so flexible," she said as she took his hand to bend his fingers. "How is it powered? Does it have guns? Or lasers? How fast can you fly? How did you get in it? How do you get _out_? How do you breath in it?"

"Hermione," Steve chuckled. "Maybe let him answer first?"

"Oh, sure, sorry. It's just that I haven't seen something this amazing since the Stark Expo. You should have seen the displays after we saw the flying car. Some of the things in there were fantastic and Bucky said…"

She trailed off, her animated expression falling so fast it gave him backlash. They hadn't spoken his name since finding each other again, yet he was always there like a ghost between them. Hermione's slip up meant that for the briefest moment she had forgotten he wasn't really there, that he was gone forever. Steve took her hand and squeezed it.

"Did you build it?" he asked, hoping to cover the awkward silence because he knew she didn't like making a spectacle of herself.

"Sure did. I'd like to say it's unique and priceless but that'd be a lie. This is the Mark 7 and I blow them up on a semi-regular basis, so…"

"That sounds familiar. Did Howard have one of these too?"

"No," Stark snorted, looking somber all of a sudden. "Probably would have found the whole Ironman stint stupid."

"Really? The Howard I knew would have sold his mother and soul to get his hands on something like this."

"Yeah, well. I guess the old man changed when you went down under fishing for mermaids."

Ah. Father-son issues then. Pretty common, even in his time. He'd better walk on eggshells if he mentioned Howard around his son again. He glanced at Hermione but she still had a blank look about her. He had had several weeks to mourn Bucky, his friends and the past. He'd even mourned her. But Hermione was still fresh out of the war and would need time. He nudged her towards a seat and belted her in. She looked in shock and wasn't quite sure how to help her through it right now.

"She alright?" Stark asked with a frown when he turned around to keep an eye on the prisoner.

Steve waited until they were in the back of the plane and he'd made sure Loki was still harmless to answer.

"Battle fatigue. You call it something else today… PTSD?" Stark nodded. "She was in 1945 yesterday. She hasn't had time to adjust yet. Hasn't had time to mourn either."

"Yesterday? Well… Fuck. Maybe letting her join SHIELD was not such a great idea, then, genius."

"Letting her?" Steve repeated with a raised brow.

"I thought women were meeker in the forties?"

"You'd be surprised."

Movement caught his eyes and he watched warily as Loki began twitching, then moving again as he pushed himself upward into a sitting position, cracking his jaw and neck. Steve checked the time. The spell had only lasted twenty five minutes and he made a note to tell Hermione about it later.

"That… was not something I care to repeat," Loki told them conversationally.

"Good. Keep your nose down and we won't have to resort to it," Steve said.

"We?" Loki chuckled. "And where is your little sorceress? It's no good making threats if you don't have the means. No offense, but I won't be stopped by the likes of you and this… tin-man."

Stark's gloved hand shot up inches from Loki's face, its center shining a bright blue as it whirred menacingly. Steve gently pushed it down and took Stark aside for a talk.

"I don't like it."

"Neither do I. If you're tossing him out of the plane, I won't tattle."

Steve bit back on a sigh of annoyance. He would just have to get used to Stark's special brand of humour. If he had gotten used to Dum Dum's loud and crass jokes as well as Monty's more insidious humour, it was only a matter of time before the non-stop Stark-snark didn't even register.

"Tempting," Steve said drily. "But I meant something doesn't feel right. Loki has an army of drones at his beck and call, probably more than we know of since he went off grid, so where were they when we captured him? It was too-

"Don't say easy," Stark warned.

"-easy," Steve finished.

Stark ran a hand down his face.

"You had to say that, didn't you? Next you'll be saying you'll be right back and that it can't get any worse."

"I'm not sure I follow."

The turbulences that had been shaking the plane for a few minutes got worse and thunder rattled his very bones as it streaked by so close, it lit the whole cockpit with blinding white light. Steve observed Loki with suspicion, but even the Asgardian God looked worried.

"There it is," Stark muttered. "You jinxed us."

Steve ignored Stark's rambling, finding it a bit ironic that a man of science was so superstitious. Once upon a time, he would even have dismissed the very idea of jinxes, but he was dating a witch so he knew better now. Yet, he could feel the air around them was heavy with impending danger, his own hair standing on end. He wandered the cabin, checked on Hermione, made sure the spear was still locked safely away, then inspected their prisoner's handcuffs, but as far as he could tell, Loki had nothing to do with the ever growing storm.

"Scared of a little thunder?" Steve asked when he caught Loki wincing again at the celestial crack rocking the plane.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Before Steve could puzzle over that riddle, two dull thuds echoed overhead, as if someone had jumped on the Quinjet's roof.

 _Impossible._

But the back hatch was ripped off its hinges. Steve was too dumbstruck to react that a giant muscular blond appeared through the gaping hole, _on a plane in flight thousands of feet up in the air._ He swiped Stark aside but barely spared him a look before his large hand wrapped around Loki's throat and he made off with their prisoner. Bewildered, Steve looked at Stark across the cabin.

"Told you," he said, his faceplate flipping down before he jumped after them.

"Seriously?" Steve muttered to himself.

And couldn't Stark just wait a minute before jumping head first into battle without even waiting for backup? He was seriously worse than any of his Howling Commando and he thought they had been the most unruly bunch he would ever meet.

Steve would have taken Hermione, but she was scared of heights and jumping from a plane during a storm was tricky, not to mention he didn't have the time to spare… Cursing under his breath, because she was going to give him hell for it, Steve grabbed a parachute, notified agent Rushman and jumped after his hot-headed ally. They weren't difficult to find. Or at least, Stark and the blond giant weren't, because they were fighting all out, causing maximum damage to the landscape. Stark's lasers and propulers lit up the night like a firework show too. On the other hand, he couldn't spot Loki anywhere nearby. Just great.

First order of business: break up the fight between these two knucklehead. But by the time he made it there, the giant got the upper hand over Stark, hammer ready to strike, and Steve didn't need to think twice about it before jumping between the two, holding his shield up over Stark to use it as it was intended for once, to protect. The hammer hit him with incredible force, but the shield sent the shock wave outward, back at the attacker. When Steve stood and gave a hand up to Stark, they stood in silence in the center of a leveled forest for a mile around them.

"Wow. That was… Thanks. I mean, the armor could have taken the hit, I think, but man…"

The closest trees had been shredded to the size of toothpicks.

"What the hell is that hammer made of?" Steve wondered aloud before spotting a bright red piece of cloth peeking out from under debris of bark and leaves. "He's over there. Do you know where Loki is?"

Stark answered by the negative while Steve offered the giant a hand up. Thor, as he introduced himself once he shook off half a forest from his person, pointed at the top of a mountainside where he had left Loki before he was set upon. Stark offered to fetch him since Loki was still spearless and handcuffed. Not much of a threat in short, or so he said, but Steve worried nonetheless as he watched him fly off. Loki was a sneaky one. He hoped Stark was too.

The Quinjet landed in the leveled area, capturing his attention, especially when it's two occupants walked out. Hermione looked furious, and with good reason, if he had to be honest. He would be too in her stead, so he let her scold him, doing his best not to show he found her absolutely adorable when she did. Not to mention relieved she has shaken herself out of her stupor. He did explain there had been no time to do any other way. She was still cross with him, but since it was out of concern and worry for him, he couldn't very well hold it against her. Bucky had been just the same since they were kids, so it's not like he wasn't used to it.

It was only a couple of minutes before Stark returned, dangling Loki as if he was a misbehaving kitten and handing him to his care before he landed gracefully in their midst. His suit of armor was truly a masterpiece.

Introductions were made all around and Steve was a bit wary to learn Thor was Loki's brother, even if their goal was the same: to stop him. Thankfully, the rest of the journey back to the Helicarrier went without a hitch, but Steve didn't let his guard down until their prisoner was under lock and key in a cell, even if said cell was seemingly made of glass.

Steve tried to convince Hermione to rest a little while they could, but Fury was about to interrogate Loki and she didn't want to miss it, so they headed to the control room instead. Agent Rushman was already there, talking in a low voice to a dishevelled man who froze upon seeing them.

"Captain, Sergeant, this is Dr Banner. He's an expert on gamma radiation, which could help us find the Tesseract."

"The Tesseract emits this radiation? How rare a signature is it?"

"Very… Sorry if I seem rude, but aren't you Lady Liberty?"

"Costume gave it away? Please call me Hermione." She offered her hand, which he shook hesitantly before looking up at him.

"So that means, when she said Captain…"

"Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you."

The doctor's handshake was actually stronger than it looked and Steve had the feeling he was hiding something, but agent Hill strolled in with Thor in tow and turned a screen on towards them, showing Loki in his cell. For a prisoner, he sure looked completely at ease, reinforcing his gut feeling they had overlooked something and it was going to come bite them back in the ass anytime soon.

"In case it's unclear. You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass…" Fury said flatly and pressed a button.

The bottom shutter of the glass cell opened, revealing the sky, clouds and rushing wind at Loki's feet. Hermione paled but once more, their prisoner was completely unimpressed. It was kind of infuriating.

"Ant, boot," Fury concluded for emphasis before closing the shutter once more.

Honestly, the interrogation was not going well. A lot of nonsense was being said by both sides, a few insults tossed for their benefit and the way Loki sometimes looked at the camera as if he could _see_ them gave him the creeps. Hermione shrugged when he gave her a quizzical look. She didn't look to have a better idea of what was going on.

"He kind of grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner said with a nervous, almost hysterical giggle.

"Yeah, like Herpes," Hermione muttered. "What's his game?"

"Looks like he's playing for time," Rushman said and Steve agreed with a nod. They'd seen it enough time with their Hydra prisoners. "Thor? You must know something or you wouldn't be here."

"I would have preferred to settle this dispute in Asgard but if he has implicated humans, his plan is still in motion, even if he is not. Loki has an army." Mutters went round the table at that announcement, as if they didn't have enough problems already. "They are called the Chitauri but I know nought of them as they are not from any of our realms. They will win Midgard in exchange for the Tesseract I wager."

"The Tesseract _your_ people hid on Earth?" Hermione accused with a finger pointed at him.

Thor hesitated, but nodded.

"You know the legends."

"Bloody well read it off a Viking's coffin. Worst kept secret ever. Can't your people deal with this mess? Because from where I'm standing, you're entirely responsible."

"My father will not. I have disobeyed him by returning here looking for Loki already."

"What are you, twelve?" she snorted then sat with her arms crossed over her chest.

Steve recognized that look, a mix of exhaustion and patience running thin. He hoped this useless meeting wouldn't last too long so he could tuck her in bed before she did something she would regret later. It had happened a couple of times in the field. Both time to Morita so he didn't blame her entirely either.

"A whole army," Banner muttered to himself before his head snapped up to stare at Thor. "He's building a portal! That's why he needed the Tesseract. That's why he abducted Selvig!"

"Selvig?" Thor echoed. "Loki has him under his spell?"

"Along with one of our own," Rushman said with the first touch of emotion Steve had ever heard from her. He'd been half wondering if she was a robot herself.

"Clint," Steve agreed. "We'll get him back."

Rushman met his eyes and nodded, but she still seemed defeated.

"I think I can undo the spell he's under, him and the others, " Hermione said. "But we have to catch them first."

"We will, but I still don't understand why they weren't there with Loki. It makes no sense. He can't lead his army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on him. The guy is a bag full of crazy. He won't give us anything."

"A diversion?" Rushman offered.

"From what?"

"The iridium. They must have stolen it for a reason, but what?"

"It's a stabilising agent," Stark said as he strolled in with Coulson.

From there on out, Steve had no idea what they were talking about, if it was even English. Hermione listened in interest though, so maybe she could dumb it down for him later, but in short, it looked like Loki had opened a way for his army. They had to prepare for war. Again.


	22. Win Some

Steve marched Hermione to their cabin and - sigh - _bunk beds_. They really needed to catch up on some sleep, so maybe it was for the best they didn't have a bed to share. With what was coming, there was no telling when they would have the luxury of rest again, and Hermione was barely holding upright as it was, seriously jet lagged by her unplanned time travel. He even had to help her peel out of her catsuit, not that he minded, but he did have to take a cold shower before turning in himself. However, not feeling particularly tired himself despite the long day, he finally got around to looking at the files Coulson had slipped him when they agreed to work for SHIELD… God, was it only yesterday? It felt like a whole damn week with all that had happened.

But of course the damn files had to be on one of those tablets everyone was so fond of, and it took Steve a few minutes to figure out how to turn it on, find which icons to press on the screen, then panic in his search for the volume button when a video began playing loudly on its own. And boy, was there a lot to learn: Stark's robot was nicknamed Iron-man, and he had built the first model of it _in a cave_ where he had been held hostage and tortured. Steve's stomach lurched at what Stark must have gone through. He knew those scars ran deep after Hermione and Bucky had gone through a similar ordeal, and Stark had not had the luxury of a rescue either. He'd gotten himself out of that hell hole using that gigantic brain of his, losing his only ally in the process. Despite what Stark thought, Steve was sure his father would be proud of him. His own esteem for the guy had just skyrocketed and he had an inkling his annoying humor was just a defense mechanism.

The next file concerned Dr Banner, and nothing could have prepared Steve for it, because it turned out the discreet man he had met was a part-time green… thing. Humanoid in shape, insofar as it had two legs and two arms, but it was all rage and bulging muscles. Steve was going to have to see this one with his own two eyes to actually believe it. How did you go from the diminutive doctor to an angry giant four times his size, then back again? Where did all that mass come from? Where did it go when the rage subsided? Steve wasn't a scientist by any stretch of the imagination, but that simply didn't make sense to him. And what the heck were his pants made of to resist such a stretch? Because Steve wouldn't mind going to the same tailor.

Next up was Thor, who had already visited their planet before, causing quite a stir in new Mexico, but he was indeed an ally if he could believe this report.

Then, there was Rushman, whose name wasn't Rushman at all, but a former Russian spy-assassin by the name of Natasha Romanov, codename Black Widow. Charming. Why did Stark call her Rushman? And why was he always trying to rile her up? Didn't he get the memo about her being an _assassin_?

And finally there was Clint. Codename Hawkeye, which he hadn't even known. Guy deserved a better friend than he had been in the short time they had worked together. Steve stared at his picture, hoping he was alright, that he wasn't lost to Loki's mind controlling magic. Hermione seemed pretty confident about breaking the spell he was under, but what if he had been forced to do terrible things, to hurt or kill innocents. He couldn't imagine having to live with that on his conscience… Steve sighed. They would have to deal with that problem if and when it came to light.

The last two files were about him and Hermione. He skipped over his own, but knew it had to be detailed to within an inch of his life. However, he checked out Hermione's file. It contained all the personal information she had given to join the army, with her address that of their dingy flat in Brooklyn and listing him as his emergency contact. It made him smile and think of better times when they hadn't known so much loss and pain yet, even if they did have to worry about having enough to eat now and then. The rest of the file was rather spotty and he was relieved to see they had no idea about her true nature, or that she wasn't even from this original time or dimension. If Hermione wanted to share her secrets, he'd rather she did it on her own terms. On the bright side, so far, the future seemed more tolerant about the strangeness of people than it used to be, so he wasn't as fearful Hermione would end up burned at the stake like the witches of old.

Having caught up on current events and then some, Steve caught a few hours sleep after he closed the file, bemused that Fury had managed to assemble such a mismatched set of unique individuals. Loki saw it as a weakness, taunting them as monsters, freaks and loners, but Steve was reminded of the Howling Commandos, and they had been a force to be reckoned with despite being a bunch of loud weirdos.

Unfortunately, the peace and quiet didn't last long. In the early morning hours, there was a sharp knock at their cabin door. Cursing, Steve jumped out of his bunk and opened the door, only to be faced by the nozzle of several guns as well as a confused looking Banner and Stark.

"What's going on?" Steve asked tersely, glaring at the SHIELD agents until they lowered their weapons.

"Well, bit embarrassing, this," Stark replied, but he actually seemed amused as he looked between him and the tablet in his hand.

Banner mumbled under his breath and ran a handheld device over his bare chest and running pants. The doctor checked the readings then shook his head and looked behind him.

"Can I check your room?" he asked, pushing his glasses back up on his nose with his free hand.

"Hermione is sleeping. What's this about?"

"Gamma radiation," Banner said." There's a source right here on this ship. I doubt the Tesseract is in there-"

"Unless you've been a very bad boy," Stark added.

"But whatever is emitting the signal is interfering with our search for it."

Steve frowned, but stepped aside. He wouldn't put it pass Loki to have placed something on their uniforms or in their pockets just to mess with them a bit more. It would be just the kind of trickery he would use against them.

"Bunk beds?" Stark snorted when he saw their sleeping arrangement. "What are you, twelve?"

Steve couldn't help but smile at the comment, Hermione having made the very same to Thor only hours earlier.

"Fury," he said as ways of explanation.

"Spoilsport," Stark agreed. "You know, I have a whole tower if you guys need a place to crash. With rooms you can actually move around in, and _real_ beds. Pepper would be beyond the moon to have Lady Liberty as a roommate."

"Erm, guys?"

Steve and Stark looked at Banner, his device pointed at Hermione. Green numbers flashing on its small screen.

"What does it mean?" Steve asked with a frown.

"Your girlfriend is radiating," Stark said, checking his tablet. "And not in a good way. I think you're gonna need to tell us a bit more about her, because that is definitely not normal."

Hermione's eyes were red and puffy, although Steve thought that had more to do with her crying than being tired. Reality had suddenly caught up with her and she was taking it pretty badly, not that he had been any better. Still wasn't, in fact.

But not only did she have to be woken up when she still needed rest, she also had to be placed in isolation, in a strange machine that looked very much like a modern version of the sarcophagus he had been locked in for his transformation into a super-soldier. According to Banner, it was the prototype for a healing chamber which was padded with several inches of lead, a perfect barrier to block out gamma rays, but with the inconvenience that the occupant had to be put into an unnatural sleep. Hermione agreed immediately because she knew better than anyone how important it was to find the Tesseract as soon as possible. So there she was, asleep in a corner of the lab like one of those fairytale princesses. No matter what Banner called that machine, it looked too much like a coffin in his opinion, and a chill ran down his back every time he glanced that way. On the bright side, Banner seemed satisfied she would not be interfering with their search for the Tesseract anymore. They had reset their computers to do their thing, and now they were all waiting around for a hit on the Tesseract's location.

"Selvig thought the Tesseract was sentient too," Stark said, apparently unable to wait in silence.

"How do you know that?" Steve asked, pretty sure he hadn't been in the military complex that had collapsed.

"You remember that tidbit about hacking?"

"Yeah?"

"That."

Steve nodded in understanding. Seemed you couldn't keep much from Stark. Made him a pretty powerful ally, but a damn annoying friend.

"So you're saying the Tesseract attacked her?" Banner asked as he wiped his glasses on the hem of his shirt.

"That's how she felt it. Schmidt put her in contact with the cube when she was captured and it immediately lashed out at her. She said it had been as if it had drained her of all her energy and tried to fill her with its own power, like… a battery, but it didn't work, although it did change her magic. It's never been the same since. It's wilder, I guess. It sometimes gets a bit out of hand. And she'd been able to draw on the Tesseract's energy when Loki stole the cube, but that was a one off which she can't explain either… She can give you more details when we can wake her up though. "

"The movies about you guys were way off," Stark muttered darkly, probably thinking of his own time at the hands of his captors and how it had changed him. "And the timing… Not that I'm not glad you're here, and you Bruce, but everything is just too damn convenient. Why didn't Fury call us before? When he still had the Tesseract safe, relatively speaking, because he clearly didn't."

"The cube was already acting up when they called me in," Steve admitted.

"So we're just the band-aid to Fury's boo-boo?" Stark said." I feel… used. I don't like it."

An ominous beeping had the two geniuses spring to their feet and rush to their monitors, before they glanced sharply at the sarcophagus and back at their screens.

"What is it?" Steve finally snapped, because as good as he was reading the tension on their faces and bodies, he couldn't read crap from all the numbers on their devices.

"There are several small gamma-ray signatures fast approaching."

"Loki's minions?" Banner asked.

"Makes sense. I'll call Fury," Stark told Banner. "You wake sleeping beauty."

Steve wasn't sure what to do with himself. On the one hand, he was loathe to leave Hermione's side, but on the other, he felt completely useless waiting around for a catastrophe to happen. In the end, the decision was taken out of his hands. While Banner was busy depowering the machine holding Hermione captive, an explosion hit them hard, sending himself and the doctor over the blown out bay window, landing several decks beneath.

Steve groaned, feeling like he'd just gotten run over by a convoy of tanks, but at least the serum would get him through it in a little while. Banner on the other hand… Steve looked around for the other man, blinking against the smoke stinging his eyes. He found him lying only a few feet away, relieved he was still breathing. If he could get him to the medical bay, he'd still have a chance.

However, by the time Steve picked himself up, regretting bitterly not having suited up because his sweats were in tatters, there was a definite green tinge to the doctor's skin, and ripples were running through his body which soon grew, and grew…

"Doctor Banner?" he asked cautiously.

Banner's head suddenly whipped around, green eyes glowering at him. That… was not Banner.

"Hulk?" he asked instead.

Steve had wanted to see it to believe it. Well, now, he could eat his words, because the Hulk did not look friendly _at all._ He roared and Steve could feel it rattle his very bones. If the rest of the file was correct, he wouldn't be able to stop him, but he could at least lure him away from Hermione and everyone else. He only hoped she was still safe in the lead box.

"You ever play tag?" he asked the Hulk who snorted in response, like a bull about to charge.

Steve turned tail and ran down a narrow corridor. The floor beneath him rattled with the weight and speed of the green monster following him. Steve had thought he was fast as a Super-soldier, but the Hulk was gaining on him. Steve took a sharp left, having a vague idea of the Helicarrier's layout. If he could take his pursuant all the way back to the docking area… Well, Steve didn't _want_ to send Banner overboard, but he would if it saved the rest of the plane's occupants. It was a simple mathematical choice, and, seeing how the Hulk was tearing through the ship with his bare hands, the sooner he was ejected, the better.

Steve made it to the docks, but too fast and with no way to slow down, he barreled into one of the planes before he could stop, leaving an indentation into its side. He didn't worry long about the damage though, because the Hulk crashed into it next, roaring in anger as he tore its wings off to throw at him. Steve ducked out the way but a couple of agents who weren't as fast were not so lucky. The rest of the people who had been working there did not wait long before they ran for cover. Steve edged closer to the landing area, the wind there rushing past his ears making it difficult to hear anything, but he still goaded the Hulk into charging him, throwing both insults and random objects his way. What Steve had not counted on was for the Hulk to throw a plane at him in retaliation instead of charging as he usually did. Steve flattened himself to the floor, avoiding it completely by some miracle. Then he remained where he lied because another plane, this one flying and hovering right behind him, began shooting at the Hulk in rapid bursts.

Enraged, the Hulk ran, his feet making the floor beneath him shake violently. Steve rolled away, a super large green foot stomping a few inches away from his face, making him go cross eyed, before the ball of rage jumped onto the plane to pummel its cockpit, ripping it to pieces. Steve approached the edge, watching in morbid fascination as the plane spiralled out of control, the pilot still having the presence of mind to veer it away from the Helicarrier, before he simply ejected himself. Man, did that guy - or dame- deserve a medal.

The Hulk howled in anguish as he fell, and Steve felt almost guilty at the sound. He could tell himself all he wanted they hadn't had a choice, he couldn't help picturing poor Dr Banner instead of the green rage monster. However, it wouldn't be his first regret or bad decisions, nor the last, he'd wager.

Steve ran back towards the science lab to find Hermione, using the upper decks this time, but it was chaos along the way. Loki had gathered a lot more minions than they accounted for, and they were not like the Hydra goons he was so used to. These soldiers were skilled, highly trained, and focused in a way that made them seem less human. Yet, he knew they were because Clint was one of them now, so he could not bring himself to hurt them too badly.

Once at the lab, or what was left of it, he found the healing sarcophagus still in its corner, in relatively good repair, considering. Unfortunately, it was also empty. Steve bit his lip, examining the thing. It seemed to have been unlocked rather than smashed open, so that meant an ally had let her out, right? Knowing her, she was in the thick of the battle somewhere. Maybe looking for him to scold him for leaving her behind again. Whatever the case, he had to trust in her skills, and do what he could to be useful until they found each other again. They always did, after all.

The more urgent matter right now seemed to be the Helicarrier tilting steadily more to one side. That explosion must have hit one of the rotors, maybe more… Was it going to land? Crash? But what could he do? And the attack, it had to be staged to free Loki. But the problem was the same, and Hermione or Thor were best equipped to stop him. But there was something Loki would want: his sceptre. He wouldn't leave without… and that was something he could take care of. Steve whirled around, looking through the debris for the damn thing. It had been right there with them before the explosion, so where was it now? As it wasn't in the half of the lab that hadn't been blasted through the bay window, Steve looked down into the dark levels below, and lo and behold, there was a familiar blue light shimmering faintly and… moving? Steve cursed. Someone had gotten their hands on it before him, and he doubted it was an ally or they wouldn't be skulking in the dark. With a jump, Steve made it through the broken bay window and down a couple of decks, landing on a metal catwalk in a perfect crouch. One more down and to the right, Steve ran and jumped and swung his way around the catwalks and rails faster than anyone had a right to in the maze of the ship's underbelly, until finally, he landed in front of the sceptre thief, the unnatural blue eyes which seemed to glow in the dark conforming it was no friend. In fact, the man attacked immediately, without hesitation, but with the butt of… a bow?

"Clint?" Steve asked as he deflected the blow.

The man stepped back, his face briefly visible as he swung the sceptre between them, but it had nothing of the Clint he knew: no mischievous sparkle in his eyes, no laugh lines wrinkling his face, no emotion at all in fact. He attacked again, the blade of the sceptre slicing the air with a lethal whoosh where he'd been standing in contemplation just a moment ago.

Steve had to stop him. He couldn't just keep backing up and avoiding his blows. First priority: disarm him. Steve let the next stab miss him by a hair's breadth. Risky, but it allowed him to avoid the sharp blade in order to block the harmless handle against his side with one arm, the other keeping it steady so Clint couldn't pull it back and eviscerate him. Then, Steve simply headbutted Clint into letting it go. It worked. A bit too well in fact, because the poor guy fell back, knocked out cold. Or so he hoped.

"Damnit," Steve muttered as he checked he hadn't actually managed to kill him by cracking his skull.

Thankfully, he was still breathing. However, his own clothes being in tatters, and without much of anything useful at hand to tie up the archer, Steve ripped the bow's string out and tied Clint's hands behind his back. The archer was going to kill him when he learned about that, but it would have to do until Hermione could snap him out of the mind control. Steve didn't want to leave him there however, at the mercy of anyone, friend or foe, so he heaved him over his shoulder and carried the sceptre in his other hand, well out of reach in case he came back to himself.

Halfway back up to the regular decks, Steve felt the axis of the Helicarrier return to normal and its speed steady, then slow down. Looked like they were not going to crash land after all.

One disaster avoided, but Steve wouldn't rejoice too fast. He still had to find Hermione and make sure Loki was still under lock and key.


	23. Lose Some

The alarms blaring throughout the flying ship died down, speakers urging all uninjured personnel to return to their post immediately. Steve, still lugging Clint around like a sack of potatoes while carrying the sceptre in the other hand, was given a wide berth. If he were to follow that order too, he guessed he should be heading to the command deck where he had last seen Fury, but he'd rather get Clint off his back first. Should he put him in a cell or in the infirmary?

Deciding Clint's health was more important, he followed the path to the infirmary, other injured agents trickling out of adjacent corridors the closer he got. No wonder there was a waiting line once he got there. However, a terribly efficient triage system had already been set up already too, although he found the system a bit unusual as the nurses sent all burn victims to one side, while all other injuries seemed to be going the other way.

"Injury?" the nurse-agent snapped at him, looking at her clipboard rather than at him.

"Mind-control, followed by a good concussion, I'd say," Steve replied as he shifted Clint's weight over his shoulder. "Ma'am," he added belatedly because he wasn't going to let her lack of manners affect his own.

She finally glanced at him, eyes going wide, then she stepped back upon noticing the sceptre.

"Uhm… That way," she said pointing to where a majority of the wounded were going.

"Thank you Ma'am," he said, just to drive his point home, then trudged through the large infirmary until he found a free bed to drop his burden into. The room was strangely empty despite all the people he'd seen walk in already, but he pushed the notion out of his head to borrow the handcuffs from a passing agent so he could secure Clint to the bed. Satisfied that he'd done all he could to make the archer comfortable while keeping him from hurting anyone, Steve scanned the room for a nurse or doctor, finding only Hermione instead. People lined up in front of her, presenting their injury. Her wand hovered above them, flicking a few times, and her patients looked in awe at being healed so easily where it would have taken days or weeks before. A huff of breath escaped him. He should have guessed Hermione would be here, helping as much as she could with the aftermath of the battle. It certainly explained a lot, why the patients were sorted in such a way and why the infirmary was nearly empty, the healed patients leaving through a side door to get back to their post.

"Hermione!" he called, waving her over when she was done with healing a broken arm.

Her face lit up and she excused herself, promising to be back soon, before running up to him. He held her in his arms, but just for an instant, knowing her time was precious right now. Reluctantly, he let her go and pointed towards Clint's bed, explaining what had happened.

"I'll have to wait until he wakes up to undo the mind control," she said. "Are you taking that thing to Fury?"

Steve nodded.

"Any idea what else happened?"

"Rumour is you threw the Hulk out of the Helicarrier's. Is that true?" she sounded like she was about to scold him.

"No," It wasn't really a lie. He had _planned_ to do it, but the Hulk had done it all by himself in the end. "He jumped on a plane firing at him."

Hermione hummed, looking unconvinced.

"Loki escaped, apparently," she added with a sombre look. "He killed Coulson. Stabbed him in the back before dropping his brother through that trapdoor."

Steve was shocked he would kill his own brother, and more sad than he'd thought he'd be at the news of Coulson falling in combat. He thought he'd be more numb to this sort of news after losing Bucky, after losing so many to war and Time. He hadn't even known Coulson that well but he'd been a good man.

Hermione's gentle touch brought him out of his brooding. She nodded towards Clint.

"I'll take good care of him. You go to Fury to show him the attack wasn't a total loss."

The sceptre weighed heavy in his hands, but it seemed like a very small victory indeed compared to their losses. When he reached the command deck, he could see it had taken some damage as well. In fact, Agent Hill herself was injured, but she had skipped the infirmary or Hermione would have healed the bloody gash across her forehead.

"Hey Cap! Where have you been skiving off to while we did all the work?" Stark said when he spotted him, prompting all eyes to turn his way.

Steve raised a brow and dropped the sceptre on the table.

"Good enough," Stark conceded and turned the chair next to him in invitation.

Steve gladly took it. Racing against the Hulk, fighting Clint, then lugging him around half the Helicarrier was taking its toll on him.

"And Clint is in the infirmary. Hermione will set him right when he wakes up," he said, glancing towards the Black Widow who visibly perked up at the news.

"What did I miss?" he asked now that he'd given his news.

Fury, Stark and Romanoff filled him in. None of them seemed overly concerned about Thor or Banner falling off the Helicarrier, one being a God and the other indestructible. It was a load off Steve's shoulders if he had to be honest. Doing the logical thing did not always feel right. They also confirmed Loki had escaped with what was left of his minions, leaving the same way they'd come. And Stark had saved the Helicarrier with Romanoff's assistance. Steve should have guessed he was behind the miraculous repair in flight and under fire. Unfortunately, his robot suit was ruined, although he seemed to imply he had a few more to spare at his tower.

All in all, it could have been worse. Except…

Fury threw bloody cards on the table. Steve recognized his stupid face immediately, saluting like an idiot in that gaudy costume he wore back when he sold war bonds. The collectible cards Clint had told him about. It wasn't a loss the cards were ruined, but the one they had belonged to, the one whose blood stained the edges, that was a real loss. Stark and Romanoff seemed particularly troubled by the sight of them, but angry to. They would want revenge. Steve knew all too well how that felt. He had torn his way through Hydra soldiers like a hot knife through butter after he'd lost Bucky, and when he'd thought he'd lost Hermione too.

Steve frowned at Fury. What was up with the theatrics? Did he really need to push them further. They had been working against Loki since he first appeared, and alright, their team-work could be better, but they had done their best under the circumstances, and were still learning each others strengths and personalities.

"Any idea where he fled to?" Steve asked Stark, turning in his chair.

Stark shrugged.

"Equipment in the lab was destroyed. Jarvis is recuperating the data, but it might be awhile before we get a lock on him, and that's supposing he's with the Tesseract. But I can't help but feel… That light for all humankind comment he made… correct me if I'm wrong, but was that a jab at me, right?"

Steve's first instinct was to tell him not everything was about him, but having read his file and learning that Stark Industries had forsaken dealing weapons in favour of green energy, he might actually be onto something.

"What does Loki need right now? Besides the sceptre?"

Starks fingers drummed the conference table, then suddenly stopped as his face lit up.

"Power!" he exclaimed.

Steve panicked, thinking of Hermione, but he had just seen her, she was safe in the infirmary.

"Energy! To power his portal," Stark elaborated at all the blank faces staring at him. He groaned then resumed. "He mocked me for it because of what I want to use my reactor for, but he definitely knows about it and he needs to use all that power to open the portal. There's literally no other single power source on earth right now he can use to do such a thing!"

"So… Stark Tower? That's where we'll find him?"

"I'm leaving now. You guys better hurry."

And Stark was gone. Once more herring off before they could assemble and prepare some kind of plan… Fury was trying to call him back, but you might as well piss against the wind. Steve's glare followed Fury. All those theatrics for nothing. They still weren't a team.

"I'm not leaving without Clint," Romanoff said.

"Well, that's good, because I'm not leaving without Hermione."

Did two count as a team? Four might. At least Fury did not try to stop them the way he had Stark. Maybe he realized how pointless it was. Best pretend this was the outcome he wanted rather than to lose face when all his special agents or whatever his assembled team of super-weirdos were called.

Agent Hill nodded at them as they made their way out and Steve did a double-take because something was off about her although he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It's only when his instinct made him take one last glance at her when he stood at the entrance and saw her tell Fury she would secure the sceptre that he realized the gash on her forehead was missing. In the time he had last seen her, she couldn't possibly have been to the infirmary and back to have Hermione heal it.

Deciding to be safe rather than sorry, Steve ran full tilt at the conference table to snatch the sceptre out of her grip, but she was fast, inhumanly so, and twirled gracefully out of the way, holding up the weapon triumphantly. Her eyes were normal, she wasn't mind-controlled like the others, but that haughty smirk across her lips was familiar enough.

"Loki," Steve growled.

"Not as thick as you look," she replied.

Romanoff tackled her from behind. Steve hadn't even noticed her manoeuvre her way behind the Hill look-alike, but Loki barely flinched from the blow. Steve knew just how strong he was, and that extended to the human form he assumed apparently. Fury shot at him next, but Loki deflected it easily, the bullet ricocheting around the control room while agents dodged their heads whenever it whizzed close.

"Surrender, Loki," Fury barked. "You're surrounded, you've no ways to escape."

"Director! Director!"

The shout drew their attention, preceded by the entrance of another agent Hill, running full tilt into the room before skidding to a halt a few feet from her doppelganger. This was probably the real one, judging but the shocked look on her face and the head injury. But suddenly, there were three more Hills, then six, fifteen, twenty… All looking shocked, all looking out of breath and with a gash across their foreheads.

"Fuck," Fury muttered as he pointed to one, then the other.

"Look for the one with the sceptre!" Romanoff shouted.

All the available agents checked one Hill after the next, adding to the confusion. Steve knew he was a bit of a pessimist, but he had the sinking feeling Loki was long gone. Soon, the extra Hills vanished and they were left with the original. Turned out she had been attacked as soon as she stepped out of the control room, to go to the bathroom of all things, before she was stuffed into a supply closet. She had come as soon as she could free herself to warn them Loki was still aboard, unfortunately giving him the perfect opportunity to escape. She was seething mad now, and agents scattered out of her way when Fury sent her to the infirmary, under guard, for a check-up. Steve suspected he wanted to double check she was the real deal, but he couldn't begrudge him that given the circumstances.

"Good job, Captain. You better get going now. Loki has a head start."

With a nod at Fury, Steve left with Romanoff once more to retrieve their respective partners.

"Thank you for bringing Clint back," Romanoff said after a few minutes of walking silently side by side towards the infirmary.

By the time Steve glanced her way, her face was its usual mask of indifference, as if she hadn't said anything. Steve shrugged it off. As he'd said: bunch of weirdos. They'd get along just fine. Her face did light up when she saw Clint was awake and without the creepy eyes though. He'd bet she was a big softie inside.

"How is he?" he asked Hermione while the other two exchanged hushed whispers.

"Looks like a good whack on the head is enough to break the mind-control. I checked just in case, but he's completely free of Loki's influence. He'll still have to deal with everything else…"

Romanoff caught her eye and nodded. It looked like the archer would be in good hands, just as much as Bucky and Hermione had been in his. He wondered who Stark had had to care for him after his own ordeal. Had he already been dating Miss Potts? Steve realized he still had a lot to learn about him, personal things that were not in the Iron-man file he had read. And, speaking of the devil…

"We have to go assist Stark at his tower," he told Hermione and Clint. "He thinks Loki is headed there."

Romanoff "borrowed" a Quinjet from the bridge while Clint served as her copilot because neither him nor Hermione had a clue about flying one of those. Hermione had considered teleporting them all directly on site, but since they had no idea what was the situation and if Loki had set up traps for them, they decided to play it safe. It wasn't a long ride to the tower anyway, not in a Quinjet. Steve used the time to suit up, because if he tried to fight any longer in what was left of his gym clothes, he was bound to end up naked before it was all over.

Hermione was tapping her foot nervously next to him her wand twirling over and over on her hand, so Steve laid his over it and leaned over to tell her everything was going to be fine.

"It wasn't. The last time you told me that…" she looked away, and Steve could have kicked himself.

He had said that just before jumping onto Zola's train, just before everything went to shit and Bucky fell…

"Sorry," Hermione said.

She had nothing to be sorry for, but now, he felt as nervous as she was. What if he did lose her this time? But did they have a choice? If they ran away, just the two of them, to safety, to live a calm and peaceful life, how long would it last until Loki or whatever other villain ended it as they took over the world?

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't," he muttered and by the wry smile Hermione gave him, she seemed to know exactly what he'd been thinking.

"Worse case scenario, we'll be reunited, the three of us," she said.

"You believe in that?" he asked, truly curious.

It wasn't a subject they'd ever broached before, not even during the war, but for some reason, he hadn't thought a witch would believe in heaven, especially not with what the Bible had to say about witches.

"We probably don't have the same concept of the afterlife, but I know from a pretty good source that our loved ones are waiting for us on the other side. I'm not sure I'll have all of mine, maybe not those from the other reality, but Bucky will be there."

Okay. Alright. So, the afterlife was a fact? Despite his faith, raised like the good Irish Catholic boy he was, his mind was still blown at having it confirmed as a _fact_. He still knew so little of Hermione's life from before, from her world of magic, but they had had too little time together, torn apart by the war, then too busy and exhausted when they fought side by side.

Add to that he didn't know whether he should be worried she was contemplating death so easily, almost finding solace in it, or if he should be glad she found a silver lining to hang onto before flying into a dangerous situation, and he was quite literally lost for words.

He wished Bucky was there. He would have talked some sense into her, but all Steve could do was hold tight onto her hand to keep her tethered to him.

"We're here," Romanoff said from the cockpit.

They hurried to the front to take stock of the situation, their eyes drawn by a familiar blue glow radiating from the roof of Stark Tower, when a window nearby broke, glass glittering in the sun as someone fell out, falling fast, too fast for them to do anything about it.

"Fuck," Clint said. "I think that was Stark."

And he wasn't wearing his armor.


	24. Unplugged

Before the sight of Stark falling to his death could really sink in, flashes of red and gold dove after him.

"What the…" Clint muttered.

Pieces of armor raced after their falling ally, but by that point, only Clint seemed to be able to see anything happening dozens of stories down.

"That son of a bitch!"

And suddenly Iron-man rocketed towards the sky, waved at them on his way up, then flew back in the hole he'd made in the window on his way down.

"He's… completely insane," Steve concluded when Stark was flung out of another window where he began fighting Loki on top of his private landing pad. "Drop us off here, see if you can't shoot the Tesseract off the roof, or stop whoever is operating it."

The Black Widow nodded, positioning them over the fight. Steve jumped while Hermione apparated next to him a second later. Moving as they had done a hundred times before on the battlefield, they soon surrounded Loki.

"Took you long enough," Stark said as he used his beam against Loki.

The Asgardian ducked, so Steve used all his strength to hit him in the back of the neck with the edge of his shield. Loki merely stumbled forward, although it would have killed or decapitated any other normal man.

"Had to suit up," Steve replied as he kicked Loki towards Hermione. "This suit is a nightmare to pull on."

Despite the previous blow, Loki managed to dodge one of Hermione's vibrant spells by an inch, but the second one hiding behind it made him flip several times in the air, as if caught in a tornado. Loki he fell back down, and lost his grip on the sceptre, which clattered a couple of feet away. Just then, a huge explosion went off above them which Steve attributed to Romanoff and Clint, although he hoped it was in a good way and not them getting blown up. Whichever the case may be, Stark used the distraction to send a beam of energy at the sceptre, making it fall to the patio beneath, out of reach for now. The fallen God unfolded himself from the floor with such fury shrouding him, it was almost palpable. Steve braced himself for something terrible to hit them, but the large mass of Thor suddenly landed between them and his brother.

"Let me deal with him," he thundered.

If Gods wanted to have a go at smiting each other, Steve wasn't going to object, although Stark tried to. Steve caught Hermione's eye instead, then jutted his chin towards where they had located the Tesseract. He was worried because he'd had no news from Romanoff or Clint since the explosion. Was this earpiece unit even working? Steve took it out for inspection and it didn't _look_ broken, but it wasn't making any sound either. He shook it a couple of times before giving up on it. He knew magic and electronics didn't mesh well, and wondered if he'd been too close to one of Hermione's spells.

Hermione nodded at his suggestion and teleported her way up the building, while he followed with a little gymnastics to get there.

No signs of the Quinjet anywhere, but gunfire greeted them from the rooftop. Loki's minions had been lying in wait, but Steve doubted such a trick had surprised Clint and Romanoff. For their part, Hermione simply levitated the whole lot of them with one flick of her hand, letting them crash down with reasonable speed since they were _technically_ innocents. She tied them up with her wand, but there was one man left standing close to the Cube. This one wasn't armed, if you discounted the Tesseract as a weapon. They approached carefully, unsure of who it was, or what he was doing, if he was trying to disarm the Tesseract or, on the contrary, to set it off. Only when he turned around did Steve recognize him.

"Dr Selvig?"

But his eyes, normally a dull blue, were the brilliant shade of the Cube. He didn't say anything either, just turned around, ignoring them completely to continue his work on the machine that was linked to the Tesseract.

"Just whack him on the head," Hermione said in a half whisper.

"He's old," Steve hissed back. "I might kill him."

"Fine. I'll do it, but you'll be the one fighting the next senior citizen."

Steve hoped that never came to pass, knowing she'd make him uphold his end of the bargain. Or else. She was ruthless in her own way.

 _"Stupefy."_

A bright red jet of light erupted from her wand and hit the poor man in the back. He froze then toppled back, effectively hitting his head on the hard concrete floor. They watched him, then each other. This part of the mission had been rather anticlimactic.

"So… we won?" she asked.

Steve shrugged and walked up to the device the Tesseract was hooked on. Most of the machine was accessible but there was a sort of field of energy surrounding the Cube.

"It looks like it's… doing something?"

Hermione inspected it too, but kept at a reasonable distance, not that he blamed her. Her finger pointed at the cables.

"Can you unplug the machine? Maybe that'll stop it."

That was actually a good idea, and he berated himself for not even thinking of it. Once he had pulled at the cord until it snapped out of the socket connecting it to the building's power source, they turned back towards the Cube and machine, but it was still humming softly. Steve sighed. They were probably the two least equipped people to deal with this thing.

"I'll get Stark to haul his metal ass over here, unless you have another idea?" he asked hopefully.

"Blow it up?"

"Can't make it worse, I suppose. Let's take cover over there."

He pointed at the corner of the platform that would shield them at least in part, but he added his shield as a precaution.

"I don't like this," she muttered as she took aim with her wand.

"It was your idea, love."

"Terrible idea. Must be Jacques' bad influence."

The Frenchman had a tendency to blow everything up, even when there were easier ways, but whatever kept the morale up was always good in his books. Steve knew Hermione did not like interacting with the Cube, but something had to be done, and sooner rather than later.

" _Bombarda Maxima!"_

The spell itself left in a whoosh of charged air. Steve braced himself for the backlash of the explosion, but he hadn't counted on the spell to simply bounce back right at them. That damn field of energy surrounding the Tesseract must have acted like a shield. Steve braced himself and the spell bounced off his own shield, hitting the side of the building instead, creating a huge cloud of dust and smoke. .

"Oops," Hermione said. " _Now_ , I'm all out of ideas."

An ominous beep sounded and suddenly a beam of light shot up to the sky, stirring the soft blue into a sickly purple. They had to stop it before the portal opened, but so far, they hadn't been able to so much as put a scratch on the device. It seemed Loki had thought of everything so they couldn't ruin his plan.

"Alright, who blew up my tower?" Ironman asked as he landed next to them.

"Technically, the Cube did," Hermione said, pointing towards the installation. "We tried to stop it."

"I'll take care of it," Stark said and raised an arm with a mechanical whir, energy humming at his palm.

"No!" they both exclaimed.

"Don't you think we tried that?" Hermione huffed. "It just rebounded."

"Nothing can penetrate it. There's a sort of energy field around it," Steve added.

Ironman's faceplate flipped up and Stark began inspecting the machine, spouting off so much scientific jargon, it might as well be a foreign language.

"I'll just ask the guy who built it," Hermione said when it didn't look like Stark had a better idea than they did. She cast another spell on Dr Selvig, who groaned and pushed himself up, a hand going to his head. Perfect. It meant he had been whacked pretty hard, but Steve was on the defensive until he actually showed his eyes.

"Dr Selvig?"

Selvig blinked up at them, his eyes a normal shade of blue. Steve smiled and gave him a hand up. "Good to have you back, sir. Could you help us stop that thing you built?"

Selvig turned around, eyes growing wide with realization.

"Oh God. I hoped it was a nightmare. What have I done?"

"Is there a way to stop it?" Steve insisted, more sharply this time.

"I… uhm… Yes. Yes! There's a, uh, backdoor of sorts. The sceptre. Loki's sceptre. You can stop the flux of energy with it!"

"Stark! What's the situation with Loki?"

"They were still smiting each other when I left. Shame I didn't insure my building against Gods. The way they're going at it, it's going to cost me an arm in repairs."

Steve rolled his eyes.

"And the sceptre?"

"Jarvis?" A pause while Stark listened. "Loki is currently trying to eviscerate Thor with it. Ah, no wait… He dropped it again. How are his bones not broken? That hammer really packs a punch. Loki's going after it again-"

"Accio Loki's sceptre!" Hermione shouted, holding a hand up in the air.

"Oooh. It's flying!" Stark said. "Duck!"

Steve ducked, the sceptre swishing through the air above him.

"Got it!" Hermione said. "Now what?"

"Just stick it with the pointy end," Stark grinned, which made no sense to Steve, but Hermione grinned back.

"You know nothing, Jon Snow."

Stark laughed, but then it petered out, replaced by a look of confusion.

"Wait. When the hell did you have time to-"

"Later," Steve snapped, pointing up at the darkened sky. It was almost like a hole forming into space. "Things are coming through the portal."

Small things, but going very fast, some heading right for them, others descending on the busy streets. It wasn't long before they heard the first explosions, but they had their own trouble to deal with by then.

"Do it!" Stark said before flying up to meet the invaders.

He missed a couple and Steve finally had his first look at the chitauris. Ugly as sin came to mind, but not nearly as strong as he was expecting. He glimpsed Hermione slowly pushing the sceptre through the shimmering barrier. Any second now… A large shadow overhead caught his attention. Something much bigger had come through. A whale. A space whale. Swimming in the sky over New York. God, but Bucky would have loved to see this.

Suddenly, the beam of light powering the portal disappeared, cutting a second space whale which had been crawling through clean in two. Steve tore off the arm of the last Chitauri on the roof as it tried to aim for Hermione, then kicked the rest of him over the building. He scanned the skyline, just to make sure the area was clear. Stark was going after the whale, and judging by how the last flying alien crafts were falling like leaves in autumn, Clint had to be somewhere shooting them down. The situation looked to be under control.

For a first alien invasion - that he knew of at least - the outcome wasn't bad at all. Few of the aliens had made it through, and those which had had been kept contained before being dealt with. Yes, even the whale was down, lying belly up on a sidewalk a block away. Now, if only they could make tech that supported a healthy dose of magic, they might actually be able to work as a team, because this fight had been another fiasco in that area.

Or maybe they were just not meant to be…

Not that it was finished, they still had to secure the Tesseract and deal with Loki. Hermione was able to do the first, hiding the Cube under several layers of magic that neither he nor Stark could see through.

"What about Loki?" Stark asked. "If he has magic too, doesn't it mean he can't find it under all your abracadabra?"

"It'll take him time and I'm hoping that by then, he won't be a threat anymore. Shall we?"

Stark flew around his tower once to locate Loki, then came back flying to tell them where to head. No shortcuts for them, they had to use the elevator to get to the correct floor where they found Thor leaning against a pillar, as well as Romanoff and Clint sitting on a whimpering Loki.

"How the heck did you manage that?" Steve asked, because he'd never seen Loki look that defeated. Even when Hermione had sent him crashing against a wall with extra power from the Cube, he had only been impaired for a couple of minutes. Right now, he looked like a rag-doll.

"Aye! My brother will rue the day he angered the green giant you call Hulk. It shall go down in Asgardian History and will be sung about at banquets and feasts!" Thor boomed, while Loki emitted another whimper.

"Banquets _and_ feast?" Clint asked. "Aren't those the same?"

Romanoff shrugged then looked at them.

"Why didn't you keep in contact?"

Steve tossed her his com unit.

"Your ear plug doesn't work. I think magic fried it."

She looked at it briefly, then tossed it at Stark.

"Think you can make these more resistant?"

"Is the sky blue? Am I a genius?" he scoffed.

"So what happened to you two?" Steve asked the two SHIELD agents.

"You fired at the Tesseract with the plane, didn't you?" Hermione asked before either could answer.

"Bounced right off," Clint nodded. "Like water on a duck."

"A very aggressive duck," Romanoff added. "Quinjet is totalled. But I think we can call this a victory, yes?"

Loki whimpered again, but they all ignored him. Steve swore he saw the Black Widow innocently dig her heels into his side.

"We should go celebrate!" Stark enthused. "Where's Brucie?"

"He's gone looking for pants," Romanoff said with a smile that left little doubt she had seen him without. "But we won't be going anywhere until SHIELD secures the Tesseract and Loki, then debrief and-"

Stark groaned loudly.

"No, no, no. I'm not a SHIELD drone and we saved the planet and-"

"We could just order pizza," Clint said. "I'm famished."

"Oh, do you think Lulu's Pizza is still open?" Hermione asked hopefully.

She had loved going there in the forties and had looked forward to returning there as soon as they were shipped back. Best Pizza Place in all of Brooklin, unfortunately, while trying to find the place himself a few weeks back, he found out it had closed decades ago.

"Sorry, love," Steve said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "But I'm sure Stark knows a place just as good."

Of course Stark then took that as a challenge and in five minutes, a couple dozen pizzas were on their way. Steve was kind of impressed. Dr Banner returned soon after, dressed in clothes that looked comfortable but not really his style. Better than being starkers he supposed. Banner gave Loki a wide berth and settled on the couch where Stark soon joined him. Thor had wandered off to find Selvig to fly him to a hospital, but promised to be back as soon as possible to keep an eye on his brother. Then they were interrupted again by SHIELD agents coming to take the Tesseract and secure the building and any other places hit by the alien incursion. So it wasn't until much later that they were all sitting around Stark's luxurious white sofas to share the pizzas.

"To Phil!" Stark said, holding his tumbler of whisky in a toast.

They shared many more after that: to Earth, and Asgard, to heroes new and old, to their team, to New York… It wasn't until Stark wanted to toast Spandex that he knew it was time to leave. Everyone looked exhausted anyway. Hermione was leaning against the Black Widow, who, fortunately, didn't seem to mind as she pulled absentmindedly on a stray curl that bounced up everytime she let go off it. Clint was actually snoring softly into a cushion. So, Steve stood and gathered Hermione into his arms, ready to head out, but Stark convinced him to use one of his guest bedrooms instead. Not that he had much convincing to do since he had not been looking forward to the bunk beds. The others seemed of the same mind to find spare rooms in the tower too.

For the first time since he woke up from the ice, Steve slept like a baby through the night.

Everyone met back in the kitchen the next morning, some earlier than others, but all wearing an odd assortment of ill-fitting rock band tee shirts and gym shorts. Stark seemed to find it hilarious to see them all in his borrowed clothes if his smirk was any indication, but it had been a better option than to sleep in their uniforms, stained with blood and alien goo.

"Should we find a place to live together?" Steve asked Hermione over coffee, because the bunk beds were not an option anymore, but he could tell living with Stark would be plain weird. "In Brooklyn, like before?"

"What's that I hear?" Stark butted in. "Are you telling us you two lived in _sin_ back in the day?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We were roommates," she deadpanned.

And it's true they hadn't shared a bed until Bucky visited, right before they were all shipped off, but Stark didn't need to know that, nosy bugger that he was.

"Right. Like I'm going to believe that," Stark scoffed.

"Are you implying men and women can't be friends?" Romanoff asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, they aren't now," Clint pointed out, his spoon pointed accusingly their way. "So Stark has a point."

"Don't you guys have better things to discuss that our love life?" Hermione asked, getting a chorus of amused no-s in reply.

"Which reminds me," Stark said, his attention solely on Hermione now. "Sinful living arrangements aside, _you,_ Missy, don't make any sense. When the hell did you have time to read a 5000 pages epic fantasy saga in the couple of days since you've reappeared in the modern age? And learned what hacking is? And bimbos? And don't think I didn't see you using the microwave this morning like a typical eighties kid. I bet Capsicle doesn't even know what it does, and you're using it like it's no big deal."

"Ah," Hermione said when several pairs of eyes turned up towards her, awaiting an answer. "Well, there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that."

Steve bit back on a smile as he could see Hermione was having a bit of fun with them, looking for all the world like she wasn't even going to give that so-called perfectly reasonable explanation.

"Which is?!" Stark finally burst out when he couldn't take the suspense any more.

"If I remember correctly… I read the books in a fit of boredom in 2002."

Stark scowled.

"I thought you only just got in the present?" Stark argued.

"Technically, 2002 _is_ the past."

"No, wait, I clearly remember Coulson saying you were still wearing your old Lady Liberty uniform when you resurfaced, so you did come from the forties, not 2002..."

"You're the one who's so insistent on keeping a linear timeline. Quite boring, if you ask me." Hermione stood from her seat. "Shall we get ready? There's actually something I'd like to do before the next alien invasion."

Steve nodded and pushed his chair back.

"What do you mean the next alien invasion?" Romanoff asked before they could make it out the door.

"Loki said he had an army, and we hardly put a dent in it. Do you seriously think they're just going to wait around that stretch of space doing nothing instead of trying to find another way in?"

Romanoff nodded, not looking the least bit alarmed, as if she had thought of the issue herself. Steve hadn't, and none of the others seemed to have a clue. He would never say it enough, but women from the future were scary.

Back in the guest room, Hermione magically cleaned their uniforms then transformed them into casual clothes. He doubted anyone would recognized them on the street this way. Just two random faces in the sea of strangers flooding the city streets.

"So where is it you want to go?" Steve asked as they returned to the kitchen to see themselves off.

"I want to visit Bucky if that's alright with you?"

Steve froze and he looked at her with worry. Had she forgotten?

"Hermione…"

She stopped and turned around as she realized he had fallen back, then tilted her head in thought.

"I meant his grave. I haven't forgotten."

Steve shook his head.

"They never found him. There's a memorial, if you want."

Steve had gone there once, but it wasn't the same as when he went on his mother's grave. It was too impersonal, and there was no link to Bucky at all except for what he'd hated most: the war. Hermione seemed to think along the same lines because she shook her head.

"Memorials are good for those who weren't there…" she trailed off, but her eyes were full of determination once more, that same spark he had seen in her that very first day they met, when she'd refused to bow down to a bully twice her size. Steve knew that whatever it was she wanted to do next, whatever mad plan was hatching in that brilliant mind of hers, he would be going right along with her.

"There's somewhere else I'd like to go then, only it's a bit further away, and I guess we'll be needing winter clothes."

Steve smiled and kissed her forehead. They were bringing Bucky home.


	25. Back to the Past

Steve did have to curb Hermione's desire to twirl away to Europe on the spot because for one, he knew from the stories she told him that she couldn't conjure food with her magic, and secondly, most importantly, he didn't want Stark butting in on their… trip? Mission? Pilgrimage? Whatever their journey was, it was a very personal one, and he would not suffer a single of Stark's crude jokes about it.

It was easy enough to sidetrack Hermione by mentioning making a checklist of all essentials anyway and they were now more prepared than ever, with enough food, warm clothes and mountaineering equipment to face a blizzard.

Steve also tried to get her to talk about the breakdown she'd had in the plane, just to make sure she was mentally ready to deal with whatever they found in the mountains, that she wasn't rushing into it when she had not fully processed her grief over Bucky's loss, but Hermione brushed it off, just like she had done when she realized she had lost her whole world by travelling to a new dimension… But that had worked fine for her. Right? It's what he had done himself after Bucky fell, if he had to be honest, and he was… fine? With a shake of his head, Steve vowed to not be as oblivious as he used to be back then, and take better care of her.

"Ready?" Hermione asked, holding out a banana this time.

"Do all of your portkeys have to be so ridiculous?" he asked.

"It's traditional," she answered before activating the magical banana.

Seriously. Travelling by banana. And here he had wanted to avoid _Stark's_ brand of humour, but all thoughts of how similar those two sometimes were flew out the window when he saw the view now sprawling in front of him. Miles of pure white snow and mountains capped in grey clouds, valleys further down a dim greyish brown as they basked in the summer sun. It was breathtaking. Both of them stood silently for a few minutes on what Steve soon recognized as the ledge they had leaped off to embark Zola's train. It had happened days, weeks, or years ago depending on the person's point of view, but the very fact they were back to standing on this very spot once more was a surreal experience. Focusing on the slope facing them, Steve could make out the uneven break on the mountainside where the train tracks laid under a heavy layer of snow, Hydra's secret path obviously no longer in use for quite some time now. Steve's eyes wandered further, to where their other companion might still be lying in the cold, eternal snow.

"Do you think it's a mistake?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence. "It's so beautiful up here. Peaceful even. Are we being selfish? Do you think we should leave him to rest here?"

Steve was still mesmerised by the view. During the war, all he had seen was strategic advantages in the landscape, how to make best use of the terrain against their enemy, where to deploy, to camp, to retreat… But without the mantle of duty over his shoulders, without the burden of urgency, he could finally enjoy the beauty nature had to offer, and he agreed with her… to a point.

"It is beautiful, but it isn't home. Bucky never wanted to leave, and I can hear him from here yelling he'd rather be thrown in Brooklyn's foulest manhole than stay in this prissy, foreign snow-tomb."

Hermione choked on a laugh and leaned against him.

"That really does sound like our Bucky. Let's find him and bring him back home then."

It was easier said than done. Even with the help of magic, and by God would it have been an impossible task without it, pinpointing where exactly Bucky had fallen was difficult. It took days, a lot of teleporting and walking, trial and error, until Steve could finally say with certainty that this was the spot. It was like having a flashback : his memory of that agonising moment and reality aligning perfectly.

"He's down here somewhere," he said with a definitive nod.

"Alright. I'm going to cast the featherweight charm on the both of us. We should be drifting slowly down." She licked her finger and held it up with a slight frown. "But I'll tie us together first, just in case the wind picks up. Don't worry, I'll find this place again if that happens now that I've seen it, but I don't want to lose you in all this snow."

Steve smiled at her thoughtfulness. It was true even he felt dwarfed in all the vast expanses of snow, wide crevasses, unending cliffs and towering mountains. Hermione might survive on her own with her magic, but he would probably freeze again, then have to wait for another Stark expedition to come dig him up. He knew Stark would never let him live it down if that were to happen.

"Ready?" she asked. He gave a sharp nod of his head. "Keep your eyes peeled. He might not have made it… All the way down."

They probably made a strange sight, slowly gliding down a steep cliff with balls of bright lights surrounding them. For some reason he couldn't quite explain, Steve almost expected not finding anything. It had been so long ago… For Bucky, at least. He also dreaded finding his remains, seeing him like that… but it was the right thing to do. A soft gasp of surprise escaped him when he spotted a touch of colour, so alien in this black and white landscape that it almost jumped out at him.

"There," he said, pointing a finger at a rock that had snagged on a piece of blue fabric, pinned there in time by another jagged stone.

It wasn't as vibrant as the blue of Bucky's beloved coat, but Steve knew it belonged to him. Time, exposure to the elements, bleaching under the sun… It was a wonder there was anything left at all. Hermione summoned the scrap of fabric and carefully inspected it before giving him a nod. She folded the fabric in her breast pocket, then looked down, and they resumed their slow descent.

His heart was beating much too fast considering he wasn't exerting himself at all, but even that tush of expectation died down when they had made it all the way down without finding another trace of Bucky. They scouted the whole area in a widening circle. Hermione went so far as to melt the snow in the area to the mountain's bare stones. When they admitted defeat, they stood in a sort of snow pit.

"Nothing," Steve said.

"How can their be nothing?" Hermione asked, echoing his thoughts.

There should have been _something._ Fragments of his clothes, equipment, or…bones, at the very least. Something. Anything. Especially with that scrap of his coat they had found above.

"Could the wind have carried him further away?" he asked.

"We've already searched far past that parameter," she replied with a frown.

"Scavengers?"

Even he didn't believe in that explanation, but it was the only way he could rationalise the lack of a body.

"There would be…" Her fingers waved around the area. She cleared her throat. "Scavengers are messy."

Steve sighed and sat on a boulder Hermione had uncovered from the snow. It was starting to warm up under the sun, so he invited her to sit next to him.

"I don't understand," she sighed once she had settled against him, her head resting against his chest.

He watched her, eyes closed to soak in the sun, her curls more copper than brown in this light, but she was as beautiful as the day they had met in a dark alley. It felt like they had lived so many lives already since then, they had seen so much, wonderful and terrible both, most of which he would have thought impossible not so long ago…

"Do you think… Could Bucky have made it out alive? After he fell?"

Hermione stiffened in his arms, and she sat up straight to look at him.

"You're serious."

Steve nodded.

"It may be the only explanation. I mean, I survived the ice. You're here despite all odds, so maybe…"

"I don't know, Steve. You have the serum and I have magic. Bucky…"

… was just Bucky. Sweet and funny, caring and loyal, but only human.

"I _want_ to believe, but…" she looked up. "I'm not sure _anyone_ could survive that fall, then just walk it off-"

She seemed to have frozen in thought. Steve gave her a minute, but then became worried.

"Hermione?"

She blinked, then a manic spark appeared in her eyes.

"There's another kind of scavenger that might explain why we can't find anything. Humans. What if someone else found Bucky and took him?"

Dead, or alive? Steve didn't want to get his hopes up, both because he had never heard of a soldier being found or rescued in these parts, and because this had been enemy territory as far as the eye could see. Besides, what were the chances someone just happened to be in the area? It was quite isolated, despite Hydra activity. Steve sighed. Their impossible task of retrieving their lost love had just become even more difficult. It was as if Fate didn't want them to be reunited.

"There's a spell I've never tried." Hermione was wringing her hands and avoiding eye-contact. Steve could already tell he wouldn't like what she would say next. "It's a bit on the darker side…"

Oh boy, if she was skirting around the issue, it was probably a lot worse than she made it out to be. She must have read the apprehension on his face when she glanced at him, because she rushed through her explanation before he could shoot it down.

"Only because it invokes shades, but that's just superstition, it has nothing to do with necromancy or anything. It's just… taking a peak into the past."

"Really?"

Seemed pretty straightforward. So why was she so worried?

"Yes. We have a good conduct, too," she explained as she took out the piece of blue fabric they had found.

"He did love that damn coat," Steve said.

Hermione cringed then slowly unfolded it, revealing a darker stain on an inside seam.

"Is that -"

But Hermione didn't need to answer. He knew it was blood. Bucky's blood. That's why this spell of hers was dark magic. Not because of the result, but because of the means.

"Isn't dark magic dangerous for you?"

"I can handle it," she said, her voice like steel. "It's worth it. We'll know. I _need_ to know."

Steve did too, but he was worried as well. He didn't want to risk part of his beating heart in order to find the other missing part, one which had probably stopped beating a long time ago to boot.

Steve opened his mouth, ready to dissuade her, to tell her they could find another way, a safer way, but Hermione cut him off before he could utter a single syllable.

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Nothing you can say at this point will change my mind."

Hermione had crossed her arms in front of her, and Steve knew the battle was lost before it had even begun. She was as stubborn as she was brilliant. It was part of why he loved her so much, but it also made protecting her an impossible mission at times.

"Fine. But if anything looks to be going wrong, I'm throwing you over my shoulder and running down this damn mountain."

She tried not to look too smug, but he heard her stifled laugh as she buried her head in his chest. Steve basked in the hug then reluctantly let her go, observing as she prepared something that looked more like a witch's ritual than the magic she usually performed with her wand. There was chanting, and drawing on the ground with her own blood, candles and smoke… To be honest, it made his hair stand on end, especially when the air around them turned darker, thicker, making it harder to breathe or see. Only his trust in Hermione kept the doubts and fear at bay. He waited, keeping an eye on Hermione in case the ritual backfired.

Then it happened. As clear as day, Bucky fell in front of them with a muffled thud, snow that wasn't there flying around before settling back on his unmoving form. Steve couldn't move, could hardly draw a breath.

Bucky. Broken. Bloody. Steve was glad for the snow covering him. He wanted to remember his oldest friend with his cocky grin and swagger, his perfect hair and mischievous sparkle in his eye. Not… this.

So they had been right. Except Bucky hadn't survived the fall. Steve should not have got his hopes up. He glanced at Hermione, tears rolling down her cheeks while she kept chanting the strange litany of words under her breath, and he tried to gather enough strength to go to her, when suddenly, he heard a groan and he stared back at Bucky in disbelief. He held his breath, waiting, waiting, until he heard it again, a grumble of pain, an almost imperceptible rise of his body as he drew in breath, a twitch of his foot.

Steve gasped, remembering he needed air too. He waited, hating that he couldn't do anything to help him while his stupid, idiotic self from the past stayed on that damn train to complete his damn mission. Doing his fucking duty like a good little soldier while his friend, his love, lay there, agonising. While he _needed_ him. He had needed him, and he wasn't there.

God, he hated himself. He was such a selfish bastard. His eyes stung, blurring the terrible image in front of him and he wiped them away reflexively, surprised to find he'd been crying. He didn't deserve to cry, so he kept his eyes on Bucky, willing him to keep breathing, hoping against hope his life didn't end here, cold and alone.

The image flickered just as Hermione's chant faltered.

"Hermione?" he asked, checking her over.

She looked… alright, apart from the fact she'd been crying. With a shake of her head, her focus returned to the shade of Bucky's form and her chant grew stronger, faster. Steve understood he couldn't interrupt her and turned his attention to Bucky as well.

Still breathing, thank God. Then he heard the crunch of feet on snow and he jumped to his feet, scanning the area for intruders, only to find a second shade appearing at eye level, walking on phantom snow, heading straight for their lost companion. Hermione had been right. She usually was.

What was more surprising was that his uniform and speech clearly showed he was a Russian. An ally, theoretically, although Steve couldn't say he'd worked or even met with any during the war. They had their own battles to wage on their front against the nazis in the West and the Japanese in the East after all. But the way he treated Bucky made his blood boil. Harnessing him like a piece of meat, dragging him in the snow without a care for his injuries or safety. If Steve ever got his hands on him…

The thought of bloody murder vanished when the phantom image did, the stranger and Bucky walking through the wall of real snow, out of the summoning circle. Steve turned towards Hermione to ask her if they could follow him, but she swayed on the spot, hand outstretched towards the blue scrap of fabric which suddenly burst into flame, black ashes scattering to the wind. Hermione fell to her knees, a gut wrenching sob echoing against the rocks. Defeated, Steve went to her side and picked her up. She was exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open as she mumbled apologies to him. For what, he wasn't sure. He sure as hell didn't deserve any. Shushing her, he told her to sleep, that he'd take care of the rest, and what else was there to do but pick up their stuff and follow the path the Russian soldier had taken?

It _was_ a path of sorts, Steve was surprised to find. Hr documented it as well he could while he walked so Hermione could look it over once she woke up. It had been several hours already since she had performed her ritual, but she was warm, her breathing regular, just sleeping from what he could tell. Still, walking with her in his arms, in the snow, while taking notes, wasn't the easiest of tasks, so he took shelter in a cave opening when the sun disappeared behind a peak, plunging the valley they were descending into darkness.

Making his girl as comfortable as he could, glad he had insisted on taking non magical equipment "just in case", Steve unfolded a map of the area, trying to pinpoint exactly where they were, where he had started, the path and direction they had been walking: it took them down the Eastern valley, towards the Austrian side of the Alps. It didn't explain what a Soviet patrol was doing all the way out there, but at least it was somewhat closer to their Motherland, as they liked to call it. More immediately, there was a small village a few more dozen miles down this same path, if the map was correct, and hopefully, someone there would remember Russians walking through sixty six years ago with an injured American.

The sweet aroma of coffee tickled his nose, right before bright sunlight burned his retinas. Steve lifted a hand to protect himself from the glare of the sun on the snow and peered around. Hermione was awake, a wan smile on her face as she handed him a mug of steaming coffee.

"Thanks, love. Feeling better?"

"Yes," she said, sounding sheepish. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I really mucked it up at the end."

"You did?" he asked with a frown. "Looks like you just pushed yourself too much. Nothing to apologise over."

"I lost the conduit. Bucky's coat. If I'd been quicker-"

Steve shook his head.

"What you did was amazing. And yeah, awful too, but at least we know. There's hope." He smiled at that, glad when she returned it. "He was still alive."

"He really was. I don't know how, but he was. I looked over your notes. I think you're on the right track. We might actually find him."

"Why wouldn't he contact us though? The whole world must have heard about me when I was found in the ice."

Hermione shrugged.

"Could be any number of reasons. Maybe he has his own life now, married, kids… We'd be hard to explain. Maybe he's angry at us for not finding him sooner. Maybe he doesn't remember us. Amnesia after that fall wouldn't be surprising. Or… How old would he be today?"

Oh. He'd be very old. In his nineties. Might have a few marbles loose. Might be claiming loud and clear he knows Captain America and Lady Liberty, but everyone is laughing at the crazy old man. If Bucky had indeed survived from his injuries, would they find him only to lose him again to old age? Why would the world be so cruel?

"Not getting any younger in any case. We'd better get going. Are you ready?"

Hermione packed everything with her wand and they walked down the treacherous path to the quaint little village they could make out in the distance from the smoke rising from several chimneys.

 _HINTERWERK_ , the sign at the entrance of the village proclaimed. Judging by the number of houses and the few cars or people in the main street, there couldn't be more than a hundred inhabitants to this place. The first couple of people they talked to gave them the stink eye and scuttled away as soon as they said hello, but they persisted, tried speaking in German as well as English, went so far to corner an old crone before she could make an exit, but no one wanted to speak to them, or those who did thought they were crazy once they had asked their questions.

Finally admitting defeat, they sat on an old stone wall and tried to decide what to do next, unfolding their map to see where the only road out of this village led to next.

It looked like another tiny village, and if it was anything like this one, it wouldn't help them any.

"Should we try looking into local history? Folklore? Old time gossip about a strapping young American wooing women around here?"

"Worth a shot," Steve snorted as he could very well imagine Bucky doing that, even covered in bandages. _Even missing an arm._ He sobered at the thought, but her idea gave him one of his own. "Romanoff used to work for the KGB, I think. I'll ask her if she can look into old documents of Soviet patrols around this area if that's okay with you."

"If you trust her," she replied. "Shall we head home for now then?"

"Not sure where home is right now."

"A hotel room until we find a place to call our own?"

"Sounds like a plan."

This time, the portkey was a spoon, slightly bent out of shape from their hard travel. With a sigh, Steve put his index to it and they twirled away from the bucolic mountainside, back to the noisy, smelly city they called home.


	26. Ghost Hunting

The ground was uneven when the portkey dropped them off, making Steve stumble once again while Hermione somehow managed to land graciously. Only when he saw the familiar city-skyline did he realized they were on Stark Tower's broken landing pad. By the looks of it, the two warring Gods must have been smiting each other right here during the battle and Stark hadn't gotten around to repairing it yet.

"Why _here_?" he asked Hermione, unsure he could deal with Stark after what they'd just uncovered.

"Stark will know where to find Romanoff. Unless you want to go ask Fury?"

Steve shook his head. Stark was a slightly better option than Fury, who would just assign him another duty to keep him busy so he wouldn't be stirring the past in search of a ghost. Stark… Well, he might actually help, if they asked. He was good at hacking and ferreting out information, he knew that much at least. Maybe if Romanoff and history books didn't give them any leads, they could fall back on Stark and his AI…

"What are _your_ plans?" he asked instead.

"Going to the library, of course."

Steve had to ask Jarvis where to find his creator. He found it unnerving talking to a being that was not actually alive, had no physical body, wasn't even a robot, and yet, was far more human and intelligent than a lot of folk he had met until then, which might explain why Steve made a point of being polite to the AI.

"He was in his workshop, but is making his way here as we speak, Captain."

"Oh. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Captain."

Steve wondered who had taught Jarvis such good manners when his own creator had none to speak of.

"Capsicle! Where's your hotter half? Did you two have a fight already? I know the best flower shops. Pepper never stays mad at me for long when I get her favourite flowers. Can't remember what those are right now, but the shop girl always does."

Steve just stared at him, musing whether the other man would just keep on speaking if he didn't interrupt him.

"Except when I really put my foot in it. _Then_ , I have to get her _shoes_. Do you have any idea how much ladies shoes cost today? You'd think they're made out of _diamonds."_

So yes, apparently, if he let Stark's mouth run amok, he did not stop. Ever.

"No, no, nothing like that," Steve interrupted him. "Hermione just went to the library to look something up."

Stark's nose scrunched up.

"In a _book_?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose," he replied, confused about what else libraries might be used for nowadays.

Stark shook his head.

"And I had such high hopes for her. So, what is it you came here for? Did you miss me? Where were you two, by the way? No one could get a hold of you and- oh! I guess I should tell you Fury is looking for you and Dr Who?"

"Who?"

"Exactly."

Stark had lost him. With a shake of his head, Steve decided to ignore all the previous nonsense and ask Stark what he'd come here for.

"I'm looking for agent Romanoff. Do you know where I can find her?"

"She should be lurking around Fury now that she's not pretending to be my PA, but I can lure her here if you do me this one tiny little favour in exchange."

Stark must think he was an idiot.

"What favour?"

"Just… You know… dinner."

"Dinner?"

Steve was only getting more confused. Was Stark hitting on him?

"Yeah. You, me, Pepper and your girlfriend."

"You mean like a double-date?" Steve asked with some measure of relief. "Is that still a thing nowadays?"

"Sure. So?"

"Well, we're a bit busy at the moment…" Steve hedged.

To be honest, he didn't know how Hermione would feel about it. The only times they'd been out on dates had just been the two of them, except that one time by with Bucky by accident at the Stark Expo. Going out for dinner with another couple was not something Steve had ever imagined doing. Chances were it would be awkward as all hell.

"But I can promise to talk to Hermione about it," he finally offered.

"Good enough," Stark said, whipping out his phone and somehow confusing the SHIELD agent into coming to Stark Tower for some imaginary emergency concerning paperwork.

"So what it is you and mini-liberty are doing exactly?"

Steve pressed his lips together, looking down his nose at the other man. He was a _worse_ gossip than his father, if only because he wasn't even being subtle about it.

"Just… exploring the modern world," he finally replied when it became obvious Stark wasn't going to either let go of his curiosity or go away. It wasn't completely a lie, so Steve didn't feel too guilty about giving a half-truth when Stark, aside from being his usual level of annoying, was actually being helpful and kind of nice.

"Need any help?"

"If I do, I'll let you know."

Stark actually beamed at this and clapped him on the shoulder, shaking his hand with a muttered "ouch" afterwards. Steve tried not to smirk and Romanoff's entrance was on point. Thankfully, she must not have been far. After berating Stark for his obvious lie, she turned to him to berate him for not simply calling her himself. Magic having fried his phone was not a good enough excuse according to her, but it did get her back on Stark's case to get on with making magic-resistant equipment. Stark fled back to his workshop, and Romanoff, "call me Natasha", gestured for him to follow her out to the patio.

"I'm assuming you'd rather Stark and his AI don't spy on us?"

Steve nodded. He hadn't even thought of that.

"And that I don't tell the Director I've seen you?"

Steve nodded again, smiling despite himself at how perceptive this woman was.

"Alright," she agreed with an easy shrug, not trying to bargain like Stark had. "What can I do for you?"

"You used to work for the Russians? The KGB?"

If she was surprised by his line of enquiry, she gave nothing away.

"I did. I hope you're not questioning my loyalties?"

"Of course not. No." His immediate denial seemed to please her. "I'm only asking because I have reasons to believe a, erm, friend of mine was taken by a Soviet patrol during the war. We've been able to track them down only so far, but it's been a while since it happened now…" He sighed. It was like it happened yesterday for him. "Do you have any way of checking Russian records for a trace of this capture. I know it's a long shot, but-"

"I can look into it."

Steve blinked at her easy acceptance, then became suspicious.

"Just like that? No prying, no conditions, no favours?"

"No, although I'm curious to know what Stark got out of you now," she laughed, her previously cold persona dropped completely. "I'll do this for you because I owe you for saving Clint, and because I want us to be friends. I can be a _very_ good friend when I choose to."

Too surprised by her bluntness, Steve was at a loss for words.

"So, what's this soldier's name? Date and area of capture? Anything that can help me narrow down my research."

Steve gave her everything. Following his gut instinct, he decided to trust her.

"He must be a very good friend of yours for you to go to such lengths," she noted.

"The best."

And more, but he was only willing to share so much. When she had left, after giving him her number on a piece of paper so he could check in with her, Steve decided to join Hermione at the library in case he could be useful there. He was too restless to do anything that wasn't getting him closer to finding Bucky. Every second that passed without doing something useful felt like a missed opportunity. However, when he found Hermione, she was just leaving the building herself looking angrier than he had seen her in awhile.

"First time a library has let me down," she muttered. "I should have guessed. Russians were a secretive bunch in my dimension after all. I was looking into those conspiracy theories on the Internet but the computer… didn't like me."

"You mean you fried a computer?"

"It kept badgering me about updating. I didn't mean to fry it."

Steve nodded, having encountered that problem himself before. Quite frankly, he didn't miss his phone one bit, but as long as his witch wasn't nearby, they didn't die on him.

"I'll give it a try. You just tell me what to type."

And so they returned inside, managing to make their way down a rabbit hole of governmental conspiracies and world-wide cover-up until Steve was quite convinced they were all ruled by lizards from outer space wearing human suits.

"I'm not sure we can give all of this any credence," he told her once they had finished reading about Russia having a secret army of werewolves during the war.

"I don't know. I rather liked the one about the ghost radio station giving secret orders to Russian spies around the world. I could see that one being true."

"Sure hope it's not. We have enough on our hands with an impending alien attack without having to worry about humans too."

The library having given what little, unreliable information it could, and the sun beginning to disappear behind the looming buildings around them, they went in search of a hotel, finding one near their old neighbourhood which looked correct and not too pricey. It even had a normal phone in their room with a cord, so Steve checked in with Natasha to let them know where to find them.

It was still just a generic hotel room though, so it didn't feel as homey as he'd hoped, despite the neighbourhood being somewhat familiar and finally having a large bed of their own. They were both exhausted after their trip to Europe and quickly sank into the soft mattress, but Steve couldn't sleep, his mind still reeling from discovering Bucky had not died from his fall, guilt slowly eating at him like acid while he wondered where he could be right now. Steve shifted on his side to look at Hermione, hoping the sight of her would calm down his internal struggle, but she looked just as restless as he was. Her eyes closed, but scowling and biting her bottom lip every now and then, the way she always did when trying to figure out the solution to a problem.

"Can't sleep?"

Her eyes opened immediately, aand a sheepish smile graced her features.

"No. I keep thinking about Bucky. It's driving me crazy. I wish I had a way to find him. I keep going through the spells I know…"

Steve caressed her cheek, the affection he felt for her like a balm to the guilt gnawing at his insides.

"Your magic already helped us so much. We never would have gotten this far without it. Natasha is our best bet for now, so don't worry, I'm sure we'll have a new lead before long."

And if not, he would ask Stark, but his words seemed enough to alleviate her conscience and she snuggled up against him. One gesture of comfort led to another, tenderness turning more frantic and desperate as they searched for release.

A knock at their door early the next morning woke them up with a start.

"Romanoff?" Hermione asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Better get dressed," Steve said reluctantly.

Natasha was dressed in her civvies with dark shades sitting on her nose. Frankly, Steve doubted that was enough for a dame like her to go unnoticed, but he appreciated the effort.

"Morning," she chirped with a knowing smirk.

It didn't take a genius to figure out they'd been going at it last night, what with how dishevelled they were, especially Hermione's hair, and the state of the bed.

"I take it you found something?" Steve asked.

She wouldn't be here this early if not.

"I've rarely seen such a well guarded secret for such an innocuous event. Even I lost track of it a couple of times."

Steve felt a knot form at his throat. What she was saying didn't bode well. Secrets, lies, deceit… All weapons used by the powerful to hide deeds too dangerous and unethical to share with the world. Steve himself was living proof of that: a human experiment that could have killed him, or worse, turned him into another Red Skull. What secret was Bucky buried under?

"Files were heavily edited and I had to go back to find originals of the earlier reports of a Soviet patrol saving a gravely injured American soldier."

Steve nodded for her to continue as Hermione held onto his hand with an iron grip.

"He received first aid in that village you stopped at, but then the patrol and your friend were extracted back to the Motherland and- I'm sorry, there's no good way to say this, but your friend was sold to Hydra."

Sold? They sold him? Bucky? Like… Some slab of meat at the market? And to Hydra? Steve was incensed and barely holding back from punching something. Anything. He had hoped so much that Bucky was well somewhere, or had had a peaceful life at least. This… Nothing could be worse. He gritted his teeth, willing away the horrific images going through his mind, when the light bulbs around them exploded, plunging the room back into semi-darkness.

"Sorry," Hermione said tersely before magicking the light bulbs back into place, alight once more.

Natasha cleared her throat, her voice quieter as she continued.

"I lost track of him from there. I don't have an in into Hydra archives, if they even have any, I don't even know where to begin. I'm sorry."

Steve nodded at Natasha, unsure whether he could speak right now. Hydra. Damn them all to hell. They'd had their hands on Bucky once before too. That Dr Zola had been experimenting on him and Hermione… What had they been doing? Was that why they bought Bucky? No, no, maybe not, because that doctor had betrayed Hydra and he doubted they would reward him for it with anything other than a bullet to the head.

Brushing aside the fate of that loose end for now, because if Zola hadn't been killed soon after, he had to have passed from old age today. It was a dead end either way.

"You mean Hydra didn't disband immediately after Red Skull died?" Hermione asked, having followed the same train of thought.

Steve, or rather, the Tesseract, had gotten rid of Hydra's leader just days after losing Bucky. It must have taken as long or longer for the Soviets to sell him to Hydra. Had they not gotten word of their defeat yet?

"No, just like the nazis. There were pockets of resistance until every last one of them was dealt with. Hydra more so because they were fanatics."

"So if Hydra bought him, for whatever reason, what could have happened to Bucky once they were dealt with?"

"Judging by SHIELD files from the time, they usually… "terminated" their prisoners. Or some other organisation or government might have collected him for their own use... Was there something special about him? Like the serum," she glanced at him, then at Hermione. "Or magic?"

Steve shook his head, swallowed against the lump in his throat.

"Maybe they had thought to use him against us? As a hostage? A pressure point? I don't know. It wasn't really a secret the three of us were very close, I suppose."

Natasha nodded.

"That sounds like Hydra alright. But they're out of the picture, so we need to pick up the trail from there. I've noted the last known bases around the area your friend was exchanged as well as what other known faction could have been operating in the area. We could start there."

"We?" Hermione asked, her head tilted to the side as she observed the red-head more attentively.

"I told Fury I was out looking for you two. It won't be a lie if I'm with you."

The two women shared a look of deep understanding that had the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. He was glad to have befriended Natasha as her help was, and would be invaluable, especially where they were going.

"Your portkeys can carry more than two, right?" Natasha asked.

"Yes. Although you might want to leave your phone behind since I doubt it will survive the trip. Where is it we're heading exactly?"

The closest Hermione could get them to their actual destination north of St Petersbourg was from the place she had been captured in Finland. Again, not the best of solutions for her, having to revisit a place full of bad memories, but Steve could feel the clock ticking, every passing second taking Bucky further away from them.

Steve waited in trepidation to see what the portkey would be this time and wasn't disappointed when she presented them with the hotel's bible.

"This feels like blasphemy," Steve said with a huff of exasperation.

"Thou shall not suffer a witch…" Hermione replied.

"Oh, alright," Steve huffed indignantly as he touched the bible, Natasha following his lead.

"It looks very different this time of year," Hermione said as she tried to get her bearings.

The ruins of a church stood behind them with a small village around it that seemed deserted. The rest of the landscape was mostly grassy hills with a few outcrops of rocks, shrubs and trees. A few animals grazed in the distance, although he couldn't tell what species they were from there.

Hermione made her wand spin above her hand as she and Natasha discussed which way to go, finally settling on an old dirt road overgrown with vegetation. It was actually a nice walk to the next inhabited village, but Steve put all his hatred and frustration into each step he took, almost envying the way the plants Hermione was stomping on withered or burst into flame as she walked forward with just as much determination and anger as he was.

In the next town, they rented a car using one of Natasha's aliases, changing it at the next town and so on until they were able to bribe a fisherman into taking them across a lake to Russia. From there, blending in was easy as long as they let Natasha do the talking. It took a few days, but they finally made it to the first place on Natasha's list, quickly followed by the next two, but all they found were ruins of bunker-like bases that were devoid of even the smallest clue they had been formerly occupied by Hydra, or anyone se for that matter. The constructions reduced to grey slabs of stone worn down by decades of harsh weather and humidity. The one after had resisted the test of time better, maybe because it still had a door and a roof to protect it contrary to the others. However, it also had strange equipment still in place which wouldn't have looked out of place at a dentist's practice. Steve guessed they had not been stolen or defaced only because they were of such sturdy make and screwed into the concrete floor with bolts the size of his fists.

"I wish we had more of his blood," Hermione whispered. "We'd know if he had been here…"

Maybe it was best they didn't. If Bucky had been in this place… Steve shuddered at the thought. Last time he had been tortured was bad enough, and there hadn't been all these chains, that chair, those cables hanging from the ceiling or that metal coffin which seemed tailor made to hold and contain one man like a very tight prison. Even Natasha seemed ill at ease.

"There is blood here," Natasha said pointing at dark stains behind the seat. "But who knows who that belongs to?"

It could give them a view into what Hydra had been doing here in any case. Unless it was blood from a rat or something.

"It's worth a try, I guess," Hermione agreed although she didn't sound too enthused by the prospect.

She set up the same ritual circle as the last time, and Natasha cursed when Hermione cut the palm of her hand to draw the symbols with her own blood. Then she began chanting. Steve knew the spell worked when the air became even darker and denser than it had already been in this underground facility. His hair didn't stand on end this time, but Steve could have sworn he saw Natasha sign herself out of the corner of his eyes.

"You're sure this is safe?" the redhead whispered as she edged closer to him.

Steve understood her fear since he hadn't fared much better the first time he had witnessed this ritual. Only his unwavering faith in Hermione had stopped him from throwing holy water at her.

"Certain," he replied, putting a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady. And stop her from interrupting the ritual. Just in case.

Suddenly a ghostly image superimposed on the derelict room, light spilling from non-existent lamps in the ceiling. A couple of men in white lab coats were bent over a man tied in the chair, one injecting him with something while the other checked his vitals. Steve held his breath, hoping and dreading to see Bucky lying there with equal measure, but when the doctors moved out of the way, their patient turned out to be a perfect stranger. Large, muscled, with a shaved head and a nose which had broken too often. Other guards stood around the room with the red Hydra insignia pinned to the lapel of their vests, looking on, tense, fingers on the trigger of their guns. They were obviously experimenting on the poor guy, but what were they expecting to happen from a simple injection?

He glanced at Hermione, but she seemed to be holding up much better than the last time, maybe because she wasn't as emotionally invested in this scene. She continued her chant, but gave him a small nod that she was fine when she felt his eyes on her.

"It's amazing," Natasha murmured beside him.

Steve didn't reply, unsure whether she was talking to herself, but he wholeheartedly agreed it was a very practical skill, despite not being so useful this time around. Even when the scene finally unfolded.

Their prisonnier suddenly howled in anger or pain, then went completely berserk, ripping out the restraints on his arms, then killing the doctor closest to him by bashing his head into the armrest. The guards began shooting, but the prisoner used the doctor as a meat shield before throwing him at the shooters, using the distraction to free himself from his other binds, then rolling out of the chair. He killed every single person in that room. Victorious, he stood behind that damn chair, panting and bloodied from head to foot. Then a light appeared on his forehead and he was shot, the ghostly image abruptly turning off.

"Ah," Hermione gasped out. "I guess it was his blood I used."

The air cleared and Hermione vanished all traces of her her summoning circle as she muttered about what a waste of time it had been.

"Not a waste of time," Natasha said with a dark look. "But not good news either."


	27. Glitch in the Matrix

"I don't see it," Steve replied. "Granted, we know this really was a Hydra base of operations, but we have no evidence Bucky ever came through here."

"This," Natasha replied with a dismissive wave towards the summoning circle Hermione was finishing to erase. "What we just saw… It's bigger than just finding your friend-"

"What?" Steve barked, his pent up anger just begging for a release.

Natasha stepped back, looking wearily between him and Hermione.

"I'm sorry. I mispoke. Of course it's important to find your friend, you _know_ I understand, and we _will_ find him, but don't you realize the importance of what we saw?"

Steve frowned, replaying the scene, but honestly, Hydra experimenting on some poor soul wasn't anything new to him. He shared a look with Hermione who shrugged, not seeing what had the Russian spy so riled up either.

"Those guns? The laser pointer? Hell, even the cut of their clothes, their hair style, their boots!"

Hermione gasped beside him, catching on faster than he did.

"Oh. They're too modern for the forties, aren't they?" he asked.

Him and Hermione skipping through time did not make those details as obvious as they were to someone living a more regular timeline.

"I'm guessing the nineties," Natasha said.

"But that means…" Hermione began, turning to give him a stricken look.

"Hydra," Steve growled.

Not only had that organisation survived the downfall of their leader, most of their assets, and the nazi party, but they had continued to grow through time, carrying on with their experiments and God only knew what else.

"We have to find out how bad the situation is," Natasha said. "If they have been secretly thriving all this time, right under our noses, without _anyone_ the wiser…"

"Luckily, I have a feeling both missions coincide. We find Bucky, we find Hydra."

"Save the soldier, save the world," Natasha muttered, but she gave him a firm nod.

Steve was glad he didn't have to fight this point with Natasha. To be honest, they needed her to continue as neither of them spoke Russian well enough to even navigate the country, let alone try to flush out an evil organization which had successfully hidden for decades.

Once they had erased all traces of their passage there, Hermione apparated them back to a hotel they had stayed at a few nights ago. They desperately needed to regroup and plan their next move. With Hydra now a possible threat, and one which might hold their friend hostage, or at least know what happened to him, they had to act with more caution. If those bastards even had the hint of a doubt that someone was onto them, who knew how they would react? Violently, of course, but when and how was anyone's guess. Steve didn't like being so blindsided.

"I think they were still trying to replicate the super-soldier serum," Steve confided. "That man in the chair, his strength…"

"But completely out of control," Hermione reassured him. "If that's all they managed in all this time, we might just be safe on that front at least."

"Maybe," Steve said uncertainly, recalling how mentally unstable Schmidt had seemed at times. "But I remember something Dr Erskine said, when I asked why he chose me when he had stronger candidates. He said a side effect of the serum was to exacerbate a character flaw. The good becomes great, and the bad becomes worse. Pride in Schmidt's case, became a delusion of grandeurs so huge he thought he could kill half the world and rule over the rest. That guy they experimented on was a fighter, a brawler even I'd wager. He might have had anger issues, poor impulse control…" Steve trailed off as that reminded him eerily of the Hulk, but as he had not known Dr Banner previous to his change, he didn't know if that's what had cause the Hulk to be born.

"That makes sense," Natasha said, nodding her head absentmindedly. "I never heard about this side-effect before. Does it mean you have one too?"

"Erm… No. I don't think so actually," Steve replied, wondering if he was wrong after all.

Hermione snorted at his answer however, and Natasha bit back on a smile.

"You know how you used to jump into dark alleys to save a dame from a bully?" Steve nodded, remembering fondly of how they met. "And them how you jumped into the middle of a Hydra facility, _alone_ , to rescue several hundred allies from a literal army of bullies?"

"Oh, alright. I see your point."

"Yes," Natasha agreed. "Your idiocy knows no bounds now."

"I think you meant bravery," Hermione said, but her tone was teasing.

"Synonyms," the Russian sighed. "So, by this logic, Hydra would have searched for tamer subjects to test the serum on?"

"Or just people they could control somehow," Steve agreed. "Suggestible people, or those who had something to lose, like a family."

"So… Hydra, super-soldiers, and we still have an impending alien attack hanging over our heads. Should we think about bringing in someone else?" Hermione asked.

"I should inform Fury," Natasha agreed.

"Wait!" Steve said, grabbing the redhead's arm, although she hadn't even stood up yet, but the sudden realization he'd just had horrified him to the core. "How do we know we can trust him?"

"He's the director of SHIELD?" Natasha drawled, but her brows drew down when she took in his expression. "What do you mean?"

"In the beginning, Hydra was just a branch of the nazi party, it grew using their resources, as much financial as human, but then used them for their own means. On the Valkyrie, there was a bomb meant for Berlin," he confided, having never shared that bit of the story with anyone. It had felt strange saving that city from its fate when they were the enemy, almost like an act of treason, but just thinking of the children living there, the babes, the innocents…

"You think… No," Natasha said with a shake of her head.

"How else could they grow this strong, yet remain undetected?" Steve countered.

"They're like a cancer," Hermione agreed. "Slowly seeping into every recess of society until it is completely rotten from the inside."

"You think they've been biding their time? All these years?" Natasha asked, still seeming bewildered by the idea.

"I've seen it happen before," Hermione said. "On a smaller scale of course. But those kind of people, when they lose, they hide to lick their wounds, they grow stronger, and they wait until their prey feels safe, until they're just a story to scare children, _then_ they strike again."

"We wouldn't have found any of this out if it weren't for Hermione's magic, which is not something Hydra could have expected or prepared against. This is our chance to strike against them before they do."

"But we don't know _anything!"_ Natasha said sharply. "Just that they _are_. How do you strike a shadow? How do you even find it when you have no light to shine on it. We need _help_."

It took some arguing, but Natasha was coming to terms with their theories while they agreed to her logic, and they spent the better part of what was left of the night to make a list of people they _may_ be able to trust. Fury was on top of that list and Natasha would not hear otherwise. Followed by Clint's name, then Stark's. Steve refused to put Banner on the list because he had been researching the super-soldier serum, which was such a Hydra thing to do. Steve would have added Thor, but him currently being off-planet with the damn Tesseract made him a completely useless asset. This was a purely human problem however, so he might not even want to help. Steve's only certainty was that the Asgardian could not be Hydra and was therefore 100% trustworthy.

"I think we need more friends," Natasha finally said when they couldn't agree on a single other name. "Hermione, you're sure you can vet them?"

"As long as I can read their mind when you flash them your ugly ass pin."

Natasha looked down with distaste at the octopus pin Hermione had created with magic from the ghost image of those they had seen.

"I hope we got the colour right," she sighed.

"Just yell HAIL HYDRA if they look confused," Steve suggested.

"Oh, very subtle," Natasha snorted.

"Well, as long as I can read their mind, it's a good plan B."

"You know Fury is gonna skin us alive when he finds out about this? That not only we went looking for your buddy without leave, but that we tested _his_ allegiance by reading his mind. We might not make it out alive of his office."

"Doesn't look like we have a choice," Steve replied easily. They would do what needed to be done, because that's what heroes did.

Steve hated to think their search for Bucky was put on the back-burner, and had to remind himself several times that they needed more allies and ressources if they wanted to go forward.

Natasha knocked on the door to Fury's office, looking as bored as an agent sent on babysitting duty for a couple of misbehaving agents could look. Fury snapped at them to enter and Steve lingered just long enough in the doorway for Hermione to cast her privacy charm. She had warned them there would be a faint buzzing sound, but it was the only spell she knew that would keep eavesdroppers out without frying all the finicky technology. All the light bulbs exploding would be a bit of a giveaway she had cast a spell.

"You found them," Fury said as he absentmindedly rubbed his left ear. "Where the hell did you two disappear off to?"

"A hotel, sir," Steve said with his bond-selling smile. "With a King sized bed."

Hermione was bright red beside him but she stared straight at Fury without blinking. She squeezed his hands, giving him the signal that she was in, and he nudged Natasha who swiped her hair away from her shoulder, revealing the Hydra insignia. Fury glared at her, then his eye caught the tacky pin and his frown deepened, but he otherwise didn't react. Steve wasn't sure if it was a sign he was a good or a bad guy. He glanced at Hermione who was now blinking rapidly.

"He's good," she said. "He knows what it is, just not why you're wearing it. He was planning to interrogate you later, you know, and not in a nice way."

"Told you," Natasha smirked.

"What the fuck are you talking about. How- Were you in my _head_?"

Fury was furious, enough so that Steve stepped forward while Hermione tried to explain as fast as possible she was just reading his passing surface thoughts, nothing too intrusive.

"Nothing too-" He suddenly cut himself off and narrowed his eyes at her. "Since when?"

Hermione's blush returned tenfold.

"I can't believe it," Fury said. "If you value your life, don't tell a soul. I hope you have a good excuse for this farce."

Thankfully, they did. It took a while to convince him, but he agreed to look into it and not trust anyone with the information. He also agreed to let them continue their own investigation, but Steve had a feeling it had more to do with him wanting Hermione out of his sight.

One down, two to go. They cleared Clint first, because he was already half-cleared, Hermione having peeked into his mind quite deeply after the whole Loki mind-control fiasco. But they flipped him the insignia and hailed Hydra to him anyway, only to see him go from laughing it off, to confusion, to suspicion. Steve had to give it to them, SHIELD agents were an observant and distrustful bunch. Maybe they were being too paranoid and infiltrating such an organization as SHIELD wasn't as easy as he'd feared.

Caution was mother of safety however, so they replayed the gig on Stark, with Clint now tagging along.

"Wow," Hermione said when she was done perusing his thoughts.

"Is that a good wow? Or we-need-to-put-him-down wow? " Natasha asked with a raised brow.

"He's not in cahoots with Hydra, but you should see his mind, it's a whirlwind in there."

"Wait! What just happened here?" Stark asked. "I'm confused. I don't like being confused."

And so, they had to explain everything from the beginning once more. It was a long and tedious process, but a necessary one.

"Okay. Alright. So… Hydra. You guys know I only believe you because Cap here says it's true, and he wouldn't lie about it, right? Just so we're on the same page. And can I please, _please_ , tell Pepper Lady Liberty was inside me? She's gonna be _so_ jealous."

"Ew, no!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's not at all what it was. Not… Physically."

She shuddered at the mere thought and Stark mock pouted.

"I'm going to start to think you don't like me, Glinda, but anyway, bigger fish to fry: how the hell are we going to sort out this clusterfuck?"

"Well, you're the genius here," Natasha drawled, lazing back in a chair now that there was no danger to deal with.

"Good point!" Stark agreed with a grin as he paced, hands fidgeting. "So we have one evil organization of unknown size, location and members, and who could literally be anyone except for us five and Fury?"

"And Thor," Steve added.

"And one impending alien invasion of unknown size and at an unknown date, but at least we know they're in space and not human."

They nodded.

"Why the fuck does the human threat scare me more than the frigging aliens in this scenario?" Stark exclaimed, hands in the air. "No, its okay. We can do this. We've got a team, and a goal."

"You mean NOT DIE?" Natasha mocked because that's about all they had achieved so far by miraculously staying off HYDRA's radar. .

"Yes. Solid plan that, and it starts with baby steps."

Steve had to admit, Stark was pretty darn good at coming up with a plan, and breaking down the two seemingly impossible missions into more manageable tasks, which lightened the mood considerably. First off, Stark had apparently just been building an army of Ironmen for some reason. He said it was because he couldn't sleep, but he never said _why_ it was he couldn't sleep. Unfortunately, this was no time for self-care and introspection, so Steve let it slide, making a note to make sure later that Stark was actually alright.

In the meanwhile, he programmed Jarvis to sneak into any available nook and cranny he could find in SHIELD's operating systems as well as any other governments and governmental organizations in order to find patterns and exchanges that were either suspicious or which simply had no valid reason to exist. He would be breaking every law concerning privacy, but as long as no one found out… It was a complicated task which would depend a lot on the AI's own judgement too. The cherry on top was when, without Steve having to ask, Stark also gave Jarvis the side-task of finding anything referring to Bucky since his alleged death. Steve couldn't be more thankful. Finding Bucky quickly was even more important than before.

Natasha and Clint offered to put their spy skills into use and assess more of their colleagues to find those they could trust and those who seemed suspicious. They would also check in with Fury and find out what _he_ was up to and if he needed help.

"What about us?" Hermione asked.

"You're coming to dine with me and Pepper because your boyfriend promised-"

"I did not."

"That's old age for you. Gramps here promised to ask you about it. Not my fault he dropped the ball. And if you could just make sure Pepper is not a creepy squid zealot, that would be great. Not that I don't trust her. I trust her like 99%, but, you know, I've trusted the wrong people before, and me and Peps _live_ together. It's going to be a bit difficult Hydra-hunting if I've got a Troyan horse in my backyard."

Steve looked at Hermione, letting her decide, but honestly, Stark presented a pretty good case, and Steve would feel terrible refusing when he had been so helpful.

"Makes sense," Hermione said with a nod. "But we should eat here, not out, just in case we need to take care of her."

"I can't believe I'm planning the hypothetical removal of my girlfriend. She's going to kill me when she finds out."

But it was necessary. Just like it had been with the others. To be honest, Stark was dealing with it much better than Steve would have if he'd been in his place, but he supposed 99% was pretty good odds.

The dinner went far better than he expected. The food was really good, wherever it came from because Stark did not cook, and Pepper was rapidly dismissed as a possible Hydra agent, Hermione giving Stark the thumbs up before they had even sat down. And Pepper was nice, despite being a complete fangirl where Hermione was concerned. Soon, Steve and Stark found themselves being pushed out of the ladies conversation when the two bonded pretty fast over the strangest things.

"Women," Stark concluded. "But I'm glad that's out of the way. Pepper kept nagging me about your girlfriend. She's so over the moon right now, I'm going to be a very happy man tonight."

Steve rolled his eyes at Stark's unsubtle eyebrow wriggle. Good for him, he supposed.

"I'm glad Hermione found a new friend in this time. It can't be easy on her being uprooted all the time."

"Yeah, I meant to ask how she does that."

"Your guess is as good as ours. There's magic, sure, but there seems to be something that ties her to the Tesseract. She appeared not long after it opened a portal for Loki, but she also disappeared soon after it disintegrated Red Skull. I don't know what happened to the Cube to make her appear in New York the first time, but it could be around the time Hydra unearthed it." Steve shrugged. "We'll probably never know."

"So if the Tesseract happens to give off another large discharge of energy…" Tony asked.

"I'd rather not think about it," Steve said honestly.

It was only a theory, but they didn't have much to go on, and it might just have been coincidences. If they were right however, there was nothing they could do against such a force of nature. All they could do was try finding one another, again and again, as they had been doing since they met. Just like they were doing with Bucky, whether he was a prisonnier, old, or even dead. They would find him.

"Bummer," Stark said then drained his glass, putting it back on the table with a bit too much force, startling their dames. "But we'll figure it out. Just like everything else," he said confidently.

Steve smiled at him. Maybe Hermione was not the only one who had found a friend tonight.


	28. Process of Elimination

**A/N:** **I hope you're all safe and not bored out of your mind for those in quarantine. If so, I hope this update will help. Take care ❤️**

Steve and Hermione spent the night at Stark's Tower, back in what was already becoming "their" room. It did feel safer crashing in the high-tech, self-aware building instead of some random hotel where the receptionist or bellboy might be Hydra lunatics just waiting for the chance to take them out. Besides, now that they were on friendly terms with Stark and his dame, their stay wasn't nearly as awkward as before.

"You seem to get along better with Howard's son. I saw you two have an actual conversation last night, and you're more relaxed around him now," Hermione said as she rummaged in the drawers for a tee shirt to borrow for sleep.

"Yeah. Although… I guess I don't really see him as Howard's son most of the time now. They're both geniuses and terrible gossips, but that's about all they have in common."

"Well, for someone who loves to gossip, Tony sure knows how to keep his word. He didn't tell Pepper _anything_ about me."

Steve's eyebrows shot up.

"Impressive. I would have thought he might at least have let slip you were a witch."

"Or a time traveller."

"Or lived in sin with me back in the day."

"That must have been _particularly_ difficult."

Steve chuckled as he imagined the poor guy doing his best not to spill the beans to his sweetheart. It would be like him not sharing a secret with Hermione. It would eat him alive from inside. They might have been a bit hard on the poor guy, but on the bright side, he had proved his trustworthy he could be.

"By the way," Steve said as he suddenly remembered something. "What is it you saw in Fury's mind that made him so mad?"

Her cheeks flared red.

" _That_ was entirely your fault."

"Oh, really?" Steve asked with some amusement

"You just had to mention a bed."

"Yeah?"

"Having sex on a large bed. You and me? Just what image do you think immediately popped into Fury's mind?"

A bark of laughter escaped him as he held his stomach, fighting not to devolve into a fit of giggles.

"It's not funny!" she exclaimed. "He's only human."

"Well, I'm glad to know he's not one of those cold-blooded lizards wearing human masks which are secretly governing our planet," he said, still chuckling.

He pulled Hermione into his arms so she'd stop being mad at him. He had only alluded to the bedchamber to wrong foot Fury after he had started to berate them for haring off without authorization. It was just a diversion. It never crossed his mind the Director would take a fancy to the idea.

"Dork," she mumbled against his chest, before pushing herself up on her toes to give him a kiss. "I'm going to ban you from the Internet. It's been a terrible influence on you."

Steve laughed and pulled her down with him on the bed, throwing the blankets over them, deciding she didn't need to go looking for nightclothes, especially if they were more of Stark's weird rock band shirts that looked like Hydra propaganda with all the skulls, reptiles, guns and overall violence depicted on them.

It had been a nice parenthesis. Just the two of them in a safe island of quiet. The calm before the proverbial storm. And that storm's name was Fury.

"Captain, Sargeant, I'm sorry to wake you," came Jarvis' voice from all around them, like a giant alarm clock you couldn't turn off or throw out the window. "But there's an informal meeting right this minute in the common room."

"Really?" Steve asked the ceiling, already fully awake.

"If this is Stark's idea of a prank, I'm going to dangle him upside down the side of the building for the rest of the day," Hermione grumbled, trying to bury herself further into the bed.

"I assure you that Sir is just as disgruntled, Sargeant," Jarvis answered more snappishly than usual.

"I don't think you should threaten its creator, love," Steve whispered as he tried to dig her out of her nest of blankets.

When they walked into the common area ten minutes later, Steve wasn't surprised to see Fury there with his two sidekick agents, namely Natasha and Clint. Agent Hill on the other hand… Steve didn't really know her much, but thought she might be Fury's right-hand man. Or woman, in this case, just like Peggy had been to Phillips. Steve slowed down. Hermione, noticing his change of pace, immediately scanned and analysed the scene. Natasha gave his witch a slight tilt of the head towards Hill, so Steve guessed they wanted Hermione to check her mind for HYDRA allegiances. Natasha didn't have her insignia however, only a wilted flower in its stead. The same Hermione had picked to create the insignia with magic in the first place. She had warned them those transformations from one object to another didn't last. Thank God for plan B.

"Hail Hydra," Steve said the way he would usually say good morning.

Agent Hill froze immediately, and Steve could see her thoughts scramble behind her dark eyes. They blinked rapidly a few times, before she glanced at her colleagues, as if expecting them to react. When they didn't, she looked back at him with narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry. _What_ did you say?" she asked with a dangerous edge to her voice.

"She's fine," Hermione said with a yawn before shuffling towards the kitchen area.

"I hope you didn't come here just for that," Steve told Fury while Natasha filled in agent Hill and Clint hurried to help in the kitchen when the coffee maker somehow started making purple smoke.

"Did I miss something?" Stark asked, covered in dark grease stains and wearing yesterday's clothes.

"Did you get any sleep?" Steve asked instead.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead. Well?"

"Just Agent Hill getting vetted by Hermione."

"Passed with flying colours, I see. Great. Our army of Hydra-repellant now numbers eight."

"Nine. You're forgetting Thor again."

"Who's number eight?" Fury demanded, interrupting their back and forth.

"Pepper."

Fury grunted in answer, as if disappointed by the name. Steve wondered who else he had expected. Banner? They would have to check where he stood eventually, but Steve was a bit terrified at the prospect of having to deal with a Hydra-Hulk on top of everything else. The green guy truly was unstoppable if even dropping him from several thousand feet only knocked him out temporarily.

Thankfully, the sweet aroma of coffee preceded Clint's return with a platter of coffee for everyone, and they all settled around the couches, eyes on Fury.

"SHIELD is compromised," he said bluntly.

The announcement was followed by a number of colourful curses and grumbling that he waited out.

"How deep and how high the infestation goes, I don't have a clue," he continued. "What I do know is that whatever they have planned has started already. There are files within SHIELD I cannot access."

"I thought you were the Director?" Stark said, a touch mocking.

"I am."

"So who's keeping _you_ locked out of those files."

"Apparently, I am."

"Oho! Smart! No one is going to access those files if it says the Director doesn't want you to, until the Director himself tries to access them, but what are the chances of you doing that? So they hid their plans in plain sight, so to speak. Want me to set my A.I. on it?"

"Won't that alert Hydra we're onto them?" Fury muttered.

"Not unless they have better encryption than me, and I really doubt it."

"Do you need a backdoor?"

"Nope. Already set that up the last time I visited. I'd say I'm sorry, but we both know that would be a lie."

Steve was pretty sure Fury was trying to murder Stark with his one-eyed glare.

"I'm not sure I understood all of that," Steve said, shifting slightly to get in between the two men. "But do you think HYDRA will be so bold as to hide their own plans in SHIELD? Isn't that…"

"A bit tacky?" Stark asked. "Yeah, sure, but I mean, did you see their uniforms? And their mascot. They have _mastered_ tacky and are proud of it for some unfathomable reason. Plus, you know what they say: best way to hide a tree is in a forest."

Steve frowned.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how the saying goes," he said.

"But you get my meaning?"

Steve nodded and Stark grinned.

"There you go then, Cap. Besides, if it turns out to be their grocery list instead, it's no biggie. Jarvis can multi-task, so we won't have wasted any time or resources."

"Do it," Fury ordered.

It was gruelling work, trying to sort the good from the bad, but everyone kept their eyes and ears open. Hermione took the habit of scanning the surface thought of everyone she met on the off chance they were thinking of ruling over the world, and, as it turned out, seeing her, Lady Liberty, Captain America, or both of them together, nearly always triggered death threats to surface the thoughts of Hydra supporters and admiration from their fans. Or course there was the whole middle ground they couldn't place one way or another but the two lists they were keeping of the good and rotten apples was growing, slowly, but steadily.

Not enough to overthrow Hydra however, and they were no closer to finding Bucky either. It was disheartening, so of course, the situation only got worse.

"Sir," Jarvis called out, sounding uncertain despite his synthetic voice. "Someone is bleeding out in the back alley, next to the dumpsters. A preliminary scan seems to indicate it is Director Fury."

It was only him, Hermione and Tony that day looking over the progress Jarvis had made in ferreting out suspicious activity. The A.I. was a great help, but he couldn't always draw the line between regular everyday petty crimes and organized modern nazi conspiracy. They hadn't expected this sort of information however.

"Fury?" Tony repeated as if he couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea.

"Bleeding out?" Steve added as he got up, ready to run down the whole damn building if he had to.

"I'll get him," Hermione intervened, disappearing with a loud crack one second and reappearing with a small pop the next, kneeling next to the bloodied SHIELD director.

"Not on the carpet," Tony moaned. "Pepper is going to kill me."

"You're right. He'll be more comfortable on the sofa," Hermione said and floated him there, ignoring Tony's whine when the crimson blood splattered across the white leather.

Steve bit back a smile, knowing Hermione could just clean everything up with a swish of her wand. If she enjoyed reading Tony, Steve knew she wouldn't want to besmirch Pepper's carefully chosen furniture. Apparently, a swish of Hermione's wand was all it took to heal Fury because he had already stopped bleeding. Steve _loved_ magic.

"Why's he not waking up?" Tony asked, trying to poke Fury's flank where there had been a bullet hole just a few moments ago.

"Blood loss, I guess," Hermione replied with a shrug. "I don't have blood replenishing potions, so we'll have to wait for him to wake up when he's ready."

The silence that followed was heavy as they all pondered the same question.

"Who?" Steve finally asked, because he was always willing to accuse Hydra first chance he got, but he may be a bit biased.

"Hydra. Who else?" Tony replied immediately and steve kind of wanted to high-five him for once.

"We can't know that for sure," Hermione reasonned. "I bet Fury has made a lot of enemies in his long career."

"True. But who else has a long enough arm to actually knock our pirate king off his throne?" Tony argued.

Hermione conceded the point, especially because Tony was much more aware than either of them of the current big players in the world. It was scary to think Hydra was already onto them when they had barely began organizing themselves to oppose them.

"Do we have a mole already?" Steve asked.

"Impossible," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "Those we let in on the big secret would rather die than betray us for Hydra."

"A spy then? Maybe someone overheard-"

A wet cough interrupted him and they all looked down to see Fury had already recovered. Steve was impressed. For a normal human, he was surprisingly resilient, and even if he didn't look well, what with the light sheen of sweat glistening on his bald head and the greyish tinge to his skin, he had the merit to be awake.

"Motherfucker," he muttered, causing Steve's eyebrows to rise. "That hurt like a bitch."

Fury's hand glided down his side, poking himself curiously before pulling his black shirt down.

"I guess I have you to thank for my miraculous recovery?" he asked Hermione.

His girl shrugged and looked away.

"Let's get down to business, then."

"Starting by who ruined your favourite shirt?" Tony asked. "Because we have a betting pool going on and I can't wait to fleece the witch."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but returned her focus on the Director, as curious as they were to learn how he had almost been taken out of the picture when they so desperately needed allies. Fury sighed, like he was doing them a great favour by even talking to them, but to Steve, he almost looked embarrassed.

"Hydra."

"Knew it!" Tony exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air before thinking better of it. "I mean, damn, that sucks."

"Why did they come after you now?" Steve asked, stirring the conversation back to where it needed to be.

Fury grumbled, eye staring without blinking for too long before he looked away.

"There's a project SHIELD has been working on for some time. You've seen the first if its kind, the helicarrier."

"There's more?" Tony asked.

"More. Better," Fury agreed. "The alien invasion has fast tracked the project too, more so because the original prototype has been badly damaged and the World Council feels vulnerable if a second wave happens."

"Better?" Tony asked suspiciously. "Better _how_?"

"They are weaponizing these units to the extreme. The purpose of Project Insight is to target and wipe out threats before they even make a blip on the radar. I was backing the project before you dropped the H bomb my face."

"That's… terrifying," Hermione said. "If Hydra get their hands on those Helicarriers…"

"Which is why I've been trying to waylay the project, but someone high up is pushing funds and granting authorization every damn time I put my damn foot in the cogwheels, so I've had to take a more hands on approach."

"Sabotage?" Tony asked gleefully. "You should have invited me along! I'm great at making things go boom."

"The point was not being obvious about it, keep Hydra focused on this one project while never obtaining it rather than looking our way, but evidently, I failed. They must have realized I knew about their existence and decided to take care of the problem."

"What now? If they know we know-"

"Just me. The rest of you keep on as usual. I'll have to go underground, and hope they assume I died in some shithole somewhere."

"I can help with that," Hermione said. "So they _know_ you died. Hydra doesn't assume. They'll hunt you down until they can put your head on a pike."

Fury raised a brow as if daring her to deliver on her claim. Hermione looked around, levitated a cushion, then turned it into a perfect copy of Fury, one wand flick at a time, like a sculptor giving life to clay. Steve couldn't help himself, he poked it.

"Amazing," he said.

"Creepy," Stark added, giving the copy a poke himself.

"It does look dead," Fury muttered, nudging it with the tip of his boot. "Shouldn't it look injured?"

"I suppose," Hermione agreed, raising her wand once more.

"Wait!" Steve exclaimed as an idea struck him. He looked Fury up and down. "You're tough to kill."

"Your point?" he growled.

"I'm guessing Hydra didn't just send any random chum after you. They'd send their best to make a clean job of it."

Hermione shuddered next to him and he recalled her telling them about her own capture by one of the Red Skull's flunkies, how ruthless he had been, lining them up on their knees in the snow with guns at their heads… He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, eyes steady on Fury.

"I'd hardly call it clean," Fury replied after a considering minute, his hand gesturing at the blood everywhere. "But yeah, the guy they sent was one scary son of a bitch, With backup too, and armed to the teeth."

Tony's eyes were round at the directors admission of finding anything scary, let alone one man, but Steve couldn't help the grin that split his face.

"Good. They take you out of the game, I think it's only fair we take him out in retaliation."

"Are you suggesting using me as _bait?"_ Fury snapped.

Steve shook his head.

"No, sir. Not you. Him."

Steve pointed at the dummy.

"Not sure he's going to fall for it. Like I said, it looks pretty dead already," Fury said, but he wasn't rejecting the idea completely.

"Can you animate it?" Steve asked Hermione.

"Puppet Fury," Tony cut in, fidgeting on the spot like a kid trying not to grab the last cookie. "So many puns."

"Don't," Fury said, then glared at Hermione. "So? Can you?"

"I could if you had hair," she sniped back, looking pointedly at his shiny bald head.

Tony's fidgeting got worse during the silence that followed.

"I have hair, elsewhere," Fury said flatly.

Tony was whistling like a kettle now and Steve had to admit he had been good at keeping his usual gallows humour to a minimum since Jarvis warned them or Fury's presence. Still, he couldn't believe they were now discussing the director's capillary capital, and that the issue was vital to their plan to strike Hydra.

"Chest hair, Stark. Don't you dare suggest anything else," Fury told Stark who mimed locking his lips tight and throwing away the key.

"We can always try," Hermione sighed, holding out her hand.

At Fury unimpressed glare, she conjured a pair of tweezers in her outstretched hand, which he took, plucking a chest hair with as much dignity as he could muster before returning the items to Hermione.

"So weird. So, so weird," Stark mumbled.

The hair was placed on the dummy's forehead and, after a soft chant from Hermione, it glowed and sank _into_ the dummy. They were all holding their breath, waiting for something to happen, even Hermione.

"Well?" Fury demanded.

"Well what? I've never actually done this before. It's not like I need a dummy man every other day."

Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony who was bursting at the seams.

"Tony. No," he warned.

"But you guys are killing me, positively killing me. Do you even hear yourselves? It's like I'm living in a sitcom. I can hear the recorded laughs."

"Sitcom?" he asked.

"Really, Cap? I bet your better half knows what it is."

Except she didn't care. While they had been bickering, Hermione had gotten the dummy to breathe and blink. The motions didn't look quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on why it seemed wrong either.

"Good enough, I suppose," Fury said, eying it critically.

"So where do we set up the trap? Where's you hidey hole? The place you go to lick your wounds?" Stark asked.

"I came here, didn't I?" He muttered in reply.

"Yeah, but here isn't a good place for a trap. You need to look vulnerable so the Hydra clean-up crew can kill you for good this time and give us a chance to capture their best assassin."

Fury sighed. He had a place in mind, Steve knew it.

"Gine. But if I find anyone of you has gone through my sock drawer," he warned, looking at Tony in particular, "You're gonna wish I _stayed_ dead."


	29. Death of a Dummy

Fury's secret hideaway was underwhelming. It could be anyone's place. Everything was so very normal, it was disturbing, not at all what he had been expecting. Where was all the leather and weapons and black. There was a definite lack of black. The overall creme colour theme did nothing to convince him Fury actually lived here on his time off.

Natasha was throwing him amused looks as if she had known all along, but Steve could see her fingers twitching and eyes lingering too long on shelves and closed doors. She was itching to discover more about the seemingly bland home, to uncover its secrets. She knew _nothing._

"Sofa?" Steve asked as he held the puppet-Fury bridal style.

Hermione hadn't managed to make it walk despite her best efforts. The creepy dummy only breathed, blinked and jerked awkwardly on occasion. Steve couldn't wait to be rid of it.

"No. That armchair there. It will hold him up better and he'll be easier to kill," Natasha said as she pointed from the chair to the window.

Steve nodded, wishing she would stop calling "it" a "he", but knowing all the while she was doing it on purpose.

"He can't just sit there doing nothing," Steve said when he had taken a step back.

"I got it," Natasha said as she put an old magazine in its hands, arranging the fingers with care and even giving the dummy a believable tilt of its head, making it seem deep in concentration. It still looked weird, but it was a sight better. Here's to hoping the assassin was a bit of an idiot and wouldn't question the director's reading choices.

"Isn't there a magazine on guns, or… hunting? I don't know. Something more…"

"Cooking is a perfectly fine activity."

Steve cringed. He knew not to argue with that particular tone of voice and eyebrow rise. Then, as planned, Natasha melted into the curtains next to the window facing the target while Steve hid next to the armchair, behind the large sofa. The two of them probably wouldn't be of any use in catching the assassin, unless he wanted to make it personal by stabbing the director, or literally take his head off, but they had to be prepared for that eventuality too. Clint and Hermione were in ambush outside on the rooftops because that was the most likely place where the assassin would strike from, if he even found this unlikely hideaway. Fury thought he would, because whoever had discovered he was actively sabotaging Hydra was in deep, and in the top ranks of SHIELD.

Tony, for his part, was serving as bodyguard for the real Fury. Just in case. It would be really stupid of them not to consider that possibility as well, and Ironman was the best equipped to both protect him and get him out of any situation. Tony and Hermione actually, but in the end, it had been deemed she would be more useful in catching their assassin than protecting Fury.

"The target is ready," Steve said through the new, magic tolerant coms Tony had been working on. "We're in place."

"So are we," Clint answered, the sound so clear he could have believed Clint was right next to him. "Hit those lights."

Steve reached for the lamp next to the armchair, lighting up the poor dummy like a Christmas tree so it was impossible to miss, even by the world's worse marksman. Hell, Morita could probably hit it with his grease gun. Fake Fury was just begging to be shot. Steve hoped they had not made it _too_ obvious.

"All good," Clint said. "And now we wait."

They waited until the night had settled around them, darkness falling over the city like a thick blanket, but no one complained. Steve was thinking of Hermione, hoping she was not too cold outside, when her voice broke their radio silence.

"Incoming," she whispered. "Clint, he's on the rooftop right next to yours. No, the other one, lower down."

"Got him," Clint replied, but his shot must have missed its mark because the next moment, a bullet buried itself right in the middle of fake-Fury's bald forehead. Just the one. A perfect headshot.

They weren't fucking around. They really wanted him dead this time, and were not taking any chances. The fake blood Natasha had given Hermione to add to the dummy splattered outwards, giving it a nice, convincing touch.

"Fuck!" Clint exclaimed. "Hermione?"

"I can't… He's too fast," Hermione replied, sounding frazzled.

Steve had been about to step out to help them, but a volley of bullets blew the window inwards, hitting furniture and the bleeding dummy indiscriminately.

"Nat!" Clint called.

"I'm fine," she replied sharply.

"He's making a run for it!" Hermione warned. "Steve?"

"Be right there, love."

He jumped through the window, ignored the scrape of broken glass, knowing he could tuck and roll onto the adjoining rooftop. He immediately spotted the dark silhouette of a man running away with ease, a metal glint giving his position away even as he made it to the next building. Steve had a hard time catching up, so he took the first opportunity he got to throw his shield at their target in the hopes of slowing him down. His shield flew true, leaving his side in a whoosh. Steve held his breath and heard another whoosh, no doubt one of Clint's arrows, which was quickly followed by a vivid red flash of magic. Their three-thronged attack was perfectly timed, but despite the odds, they all missed the mark. him worse of all because the assassin _caught_ his shield, stopped it one-handed mid-air as if it was nothing, a mild annoyance to be swatted away. Then the shield was thrown _back_ at him, with just as much strength behind it, and just as true as if he had thrown it himself. Their target was enhanced. Had to be.

Steve warned the others and their momentary standoff came to an end. He hadn't even gotten a good look at the other man. He was too far away, standing in the shadows. Then he was off again, and the chase resumed. Hermione was the first one to get the upper hand on the assassin when one of her spells tripped him up, but she was slower than him, too far away, so it was Steve who lunged for the assassin, tackling him then landing with all his weight on his back. But the Hydra agent was strong, fast and agile. No sooner had Steve pinned one arm behind his back that he managed to push the both of them up. Then he used his momentum and Steve's surprise to slam him against a wall. Steve crumpled on the floor, and the other man used the opportunity to kick him right in the chest, slamming him in the wall once more. All the air forcibly left Steve's lungs, making him wheeze for the first time since the serum. He would be feeling nostalgic if it wasn't so darned inconvenient. Thank God for backup. The assassin had to give up whatever he has planned for him next when he was forced to step back to avoid an arrow, then another. Clint was backing the guy into a corner, not giving him a chance to escape this time whilst giving Steve a chance to get back on his feet and catch his breath. Hermione floated down next to him, landing a bit ungracefully, but he caught her and held her steady.

"Ready?" he asked her.

Hermione nodded, wand already aimed at their target, and she cast the strongest restraining spell she knew, just as they had planned, but, like all plans, it unexpectedly went pear-shaped. For no apparent reason, Hermione's spell glanced off her target the way it did on his shield and it came right back at them. Out of reflex, Steve pushed Hermione out of the way but he was caught in the light and found himself bound tightly from neck to ankles in thick chains. His muscles bulged in protest, but the more he moved, the more the chains constrained him. Hermione picked herself up, looking dazed, but she soon had her wand on him.

"No," Steve ground out, jerking his head towards the assassin. He didn't know how long it would take to free him and they had more pressing matters right now. "Get him."

Because the Hydra agent had seen his ticket out of the corner he had been pushed into, and he turned on Hermione in her moment of distraction. Eyes wide, she realized the mistake she had made,and her free hand shot up between her and the Hydra agent without conscious effort, incantation or wand waving needed, giving her precious seconds to send the threat flying several feet up in the air before he could reach her. With the grace of a cat, the assassin flipped mi-air to land back on his feet some distance away.

"Clint!" Steve called out, forgetting about his com entirely.

"Sorry. Out of arrows, Cap."

"I'll get him," Hermione seethed, leaving his side before he could reason with her.

"Don't worry, Cap. I'm right on her heels," Clint said, seeing his predicament.

Except Steve _did_ worry, because what good was an archer without arrows? A couple of minutes later, Natasha appeared at his side.

"Problem?" she asked kneeling down next to him.

"What does it look like?" Steve muttered.

The redhead tugged at the chains binding him here and there, but finally admitted she could find no beginning or end to them, nor a lock to pick. He either had to wait for the magic to wear off or for Hermione to return and undo the spell.

"What happened to you?" he asked Natasha because she had not caught up to them until now.

She gave him a crooked smile then showed off a bloody hand before placing it back over her thigh. Steve cursed. He should have noticed sooner.

"How bad is it?"

"Just a graze."

"Really?"

She laughed and said something in Russian he didn't understand, but which sounded fond enough. Thankfully, Hermione and Clint returned at that point. Steve was so relieved, he didn't even care they were empty handed. Or almost empty handed. Clint was showing off his trophy: goggles of some sort with dark lenses. Apparently, one of his shots had been a near miss for the assassin and he had left the cracked lenses behind. Meanwhile, Hermione freed him from her spell and they made their way back to the tower, the worse for wear, Clint nagging Natasha in the ride home to check her wound himself, not trusting her notion of "fine".

"So that's that," they later told Fury when they made it back to the tower.

"Am dead at least?"

"Very convincingly so, sir," Natasha replied with a smirk.

"Creep even lingered and shot a whole clip at your corpse to make sure."

"You should have brought me along," Stark replied, still sulking about being on babysitting duty.

The director glared at them, his disappointment tangible.

"We underestimated him," Steve agreed. "I thought the four of us would be more than enough to capture one man, but he was enhanced, much like I am if I had to wager a guess. Is it possible Hydra created their own version of a super-soldier?"

"Jesus, let's hope not," Clint exclaimed.

"And they would be using him as an assassin?" Tony asked as he stroked his goatee.

"Well, they're hardly going to use him as a poster boy," Steve snarked. "This is Hydra we're talking about. An assassin is exactly how they would use someone like me."

"There's a rumour…" Natasha started with a glance at Fury. The director nodded and she continued. "Most intelligence agencies don't believe in it, but I do, I've seen him in action, up close and personal."

Her hand hovered towards her flank for a brief moment before she relaxed and continued.

"They call him the Winter Soldier," she explained in hushed tones as if she was afraid saying his name, or codename, would summon the man in their midst.

Steve was hanging on her every word. The only other time he had seen Natasha show any amount of fear was when she had witnessed Hermione's blood ritual to summon the past.

"I didn't get a good look, but I think it's him. That mask Clint took off of him is very similar to what I saw him wear before. His ruthlessness too. I don't know how it's possible, but it's got to be him."

"Why wouldn't it be possible?" Steve asked.

"Stories about this Winter Soldier cropped up decades ago. Too similar not to be the same man, but that means he would be a nonagenarian by now."

"Must be one of your friends, gramps," Tony joked, but his laugh petered out soon after. "Wait a sec. That can't be a coincidence. Are you sure about these rumours, gossip girl?"

"Yes," Natasha said flatly. "He was most active during the Cold War, but I came across him a few years ago myself. Shot right through me to get to his target. Like I said, ruthless. He also has a high tech arm, metal, adorned with a red star. You can't miss it. Did any of you see something like that?"

"Too dark," Steve said uncertainly, but there had been that metal glint that had given the man's position away.

"Too far away," Hermione added.

"He did," Clint said easily, as they gaped at him. "What? You didn't notice? Hell, it even bounced your spell right off. That was kind of funny, except it almost got us killed."

Fury was pinching the bridge of his nose, but Tony was typing furiously on his tablet, tossing it on the nearest table in frustration, hands carding through his hair.

"Come on. Don't tell me I'm the only one to see it. Connect the dots, kids! This guy is old like Cap and is missing an arm. And how many one-armed old men are we currently searching for? Two. What are the odds? Terrible. They're the same guy. Have to be."

Steve's jaw had gone slack. He glanced at Hermione, but she looked just as shocked.

"Impossible," Steve said. "It can't be. How? Bucky didn't get the serum. Everything was destroyed after I was injected."

"The KGB files," Natasha said. "Your friend was sold to Hydra. They probably never stopped looking to replicate the serum."

"And used him as a guinea pig?" he asked, aghast.

"And succeeded," Fury said darkly. "I agree with Stark." Tony made a gagging sound. "It can't be a coincidence."

"I can't believe it. He wouldn't… Bucky wouldn't try to kill us."

"No, he wouldn't," Hermione agreed then bit her bottom lip.

"What is it?" Natasha urged, sensing her hesitation.

Hermione glanced at him, guilt evident in her eyes.

"Bucky never told us what Dr Zola did to him. Even when I told him what happened to me when I was in his hands, he never opened up. I brushed it off, because he seemed fine or as fine as one can be fighting a war on the front…"

"What did he do to you?" Steve growled, picking up on the parallel she wa trying to draw.

"Tried to. It would not have worked on me. I know how to protect my mind, even without a wand. Spells could have broken through, but not what that doctor was trying to do… I'm not sure, but I think he was trying to break me down, my personality, what makes me who I am."

"Reprogram you, you mean?" Tony asked. "That can't be done," he scoffed.

"It can," Natasha disagreed. "Over time. A lot of time, pain, punishment. It can be done."

Tony shuddered and after an uncomfortable silence, Hermione continued.

"Zola used a machine with a sort of helmet attached to the head. Projected images, sounds. He kept talking about brain waves and got anxious when he couldn't influence mine. That's when they started using the usual methods to wear down a prisoner."

Steve tucked her under his arm, wishing not for the first time he had gotten there sooner to save both his sargents so much pain instead of being paraded like a dancing monkey. Steve remembered seeing Bucky hooked to that machine. He had been completely out of it, delirious, repeating his name, rank and number which was what soldiers did under duress when captured. He had been fighting whatever Zola was trying to do to him. But if they had gotten their hands on him again and resumed the torture until they wore him down completely.

"Brainwashed?" Steve asked.

"It's a possibility you'll have to take into account, Captain. You won't know until you capture him."

Steve didn't know how to feel about the idea. On the one hand, they might have located Bucky, but on the other he was a brainwashed assassin working for Hydra, intent on killing them. It was so far away from any scenario he had considered to explain Bucky's absence. He knew he had to think on it for some time, so he merely nodded at Fury.

Later, he asked Hermione if she could repair Bucky's mind since she knew how to protect her own.

"I don't know," she admitted. "It's not my area of expertise. I was lucky what little I know of occlumency was enough to protect me. But I'll try. First, we have to get him out of their clutches, whether he wants to or not."

"Bring him back kicking and screaming, eh?"

He gave her a sad smile. If it was all they could do, they would.

Meanwhile, they had to pretend to be model SHIELD agents. Fury had gone underground to find out whose alarm he had triggered exactly to have warranted such a lethal and immediate response. Because that person obviously controlled the Winter Soldier, and in his mind, whoever controlled the Winter Soldier controlled Hydra. Count on Fury to go straight for the head. He had promised to keep them in the loop however, but Steve just read that as whenever he needed canon fodder. Not that he minded if that canon was pointed at Hydra.

 **A/N: Because I can't believe no one in that group of highly intelligent people would not have put two and two together. So sorry, no ripping off the mask and *gasp* that is Bucky! OMG! For that you can either watch the movie or I'm sure there's plenty of good fics with that trope :)**


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